Skyfall
by articcat621
Summary: Ron leaves Harry and Hermione alone during the Horcrux hunt. That night changes Hermione, and those around her. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Written for the 100k Multichapter Competition. I don't own Harry Potter, but I hope ya'll enjoy! And a huge thanks to MrsBates93 for betaing this!

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Chapter 1

Harry and I were talking about the sword when all of a sudden; it was pitch dark in the tent as the lights turned off.

"What the hell…" I mumbled, turning in my seat.

A few minutes later, the lights came back on with Ron appearing beside the table. He didn't look very happy.

"Do you remember me? Yeah, I'm still here," he said, his voice dripping with anger.

Harry closed the book. "Ron…" he started.

"Oh no, don't stop on my account. Just keep doing whatever it is you were doing before I came back," Ron sneered.

Harry sent me a confused glance and I just shrugged. I had no idea what was going on. Why was he acting like this? My eyes moved down towards his neck, where the Horcrux was laying. That must be it! He needed to take it off before he said something that he'd regret.

Harry let out a sigh and looked at Ron. "What is wrong?"

Ron shrugged. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong," he paused. "Not according to you anyway."

Harry leaned forward. "Well, you've obviously got a problem, so spit it out."

Ron leaned forward, his expression dark. I shuddered slightly; Ron wasn't himself at all. Something was wrong.

"Fine! Don't expect me to skip about all happy because we've got another damn thing to find. Just add it to the long list of things you don't know."

"Things I don't know? Ron, if you haven't noticed, this isn't some easy thing we can work out straight away."

Ron crossed his arms. "Well, I'm sick of it. Running around like headless chickens, freezing my arse off with nothing to eat. I had thought that after all this time; we would have had something to show for it!"

"Ron," I whispered softly. He needed to calm down.

Harry stood from his seat. "I thought you knew what you had signed up for."

"Yeah, I thought I did too." Ron growled.

I still couldn't believe this was happening.

Harry walked around the tent until he was a few inches away from Ron. "So what part isn't living up to your expectations? Hmmm? Did you think we'd be staying in a posh hotel being waited on hand and foot? Did you think this would be over in a matter of days, so you could go home to Mummy before Christmas?" Harry's eyes were filled with a mixture of anger and hurt.

"We thought you knew what you were doing!" Ron shouted, causing Harry to flinch. "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do."

"Did I ever give you that idea? No, because I told you every damn thing Dumbledore told me! I wouldn't keep something from you! And in case you haven't noticed, we have already found one Horcrux."

I stood, horror on my face, as I watched my two friends yell at each other.

Ron closed his eyes. "We're about as close to destroying this Horcrux we are to finding the rest of them aren't we?"

I moved closer to Ron. "Ron…" I whispered, reaching for the Horcrux. I tried to take it off him, but he grabbed my hands and shoved me out of the way. "Take it off, please," I begged.

I reached for it again, and he stepped back, slapping my hands out of the way.

"Ron, you wouldn't be saying any of this if you hadn't been wearing that thing all day," I whispered, hoping he'd see reason before it was too late.

"Yeah he would," said Harry. "I've seen the two of you whispering behind my back. Did you think I didn't know what you were talking about?"

Guilt gnawed at my insides. "Harry, we weren't-"

"Don't lie!" Ron hissed, taking a step towards me. Subconsciously, I stumbled back in fear. "You said it too! You said you were disappointed, you said you'd thought he'd have a bit more to go on than-"

"Shut up!" I shrieked, my voice sounding louder than usual. I turned to Harry. "I didn't say it like that, honest!" I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks.

"You don't know why I listen to that radio every night, do you?" Ron asked, his focus back on Harry. "To make sure I don't hear Ginny's name, or Fred's, or George's, or Mum's."

"Do you not think I'm listening too? That I don't care about them? That I don't know what that feels like!" Harry shouted.

I flinched as they continued to argue. I still couldn't believe this was happening.

"Understand? You can't possibly understand Harry, your parents are dead!" Ron shouted. "You have no family."

I stood there, my mouth open, frozen in shock. How could Ron say such a thing? That was a low blow.

Harry let out a yell, and lunged for Ron. They fell to the ground, punching and scratching at each other. Reaching down, I grabbed Harry and quickly yanked him away. Thinking fast, I cried out "Protego!" causing a shield to appear between the two of them. "Stop it!" I cried. Reaching up, I quickly wiped away some of my tears on my sleeve.

Harry's face was filled with hurt and betrayal, while Ron's was full of anger.

"You want to leave; you know where the door is. Go! Otherwise why are you still here?" Harry asked.

"Search me," Ron replied.

"Then leave. Go home," Harry stated.

"You know what? I think I will," Ron replied. Moving around the tent, he started to grab a few things.

Panic bubbled up within me. This couldn't be happening. I had to stop them, before it was too late. "Ron," I said, but he just ignored me.

Ron pulled the chain from over his head and threw the locket onto a nearby chair. He turned to face me. "What are you doing?"

My mouth hung open. I didn't say anything; I didn't know what to say.

"Are you staying? Or are you coming with me?"

"I…" I struggled for words, unsure of what I should even say. Turning, I saw Harry from the corner of my eye. I couldn't leave him… I just couldn't. Ignoring the pain in my chest, I turned back to Ron. "Yes, I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help him."

"Fine, I get it," he said coldly. "You've chose him."

I shook my head. "Ron, it isn't like that," I protested.

He scoffed. "I saw you two the other night, acting all cozy."

"Ron that was nothing!"

He ignored me, turning and disappearing through the flap. Casting a quick glance towards Harry, I moved and followed him outside.

"Ron!" I cried, chasing after his retreating figure. I had to reach him before he went past the wards. "Ron!" I screamed.

"Ron! Please come back!" My voice was thick with emotion and the tears continued to roll down my face. "Ron!"

He ignored me, moving forward. He slipped outside the wards, and without so much of a look back, he disapparated. Ron was gone.

I just stood there, frozen. No, this couldn't be happening. No, no, no.

I kept repeating the phrase in my head, hoping it would change what had actually happened.

"Ron!" I screamed, hoping it was all just some kind of sick joke.

He couldn't leave us, leave me…. He just couldn't!

"Ron!" I ran through the woods, shouting his name over and over. But nothing answered me. Nothing but silence.

He had left. Ron had just left. He had just disappeared, leaving me and Harry behind.

I could feel the rain soaking my clothes, causing my hair to stick to me. With a sniffle, I knew my tears were mixing with the rain.

I continued to shout his name, hoping he would come back.

He's gone, he's gone, he's gone. The words kept running around in circles in my mind, but I just didn't believe them…. I couldn't.

I had never thought my heart could hurt this much. Nothing could ever compare to this. Not watching him snog Lavender constantly or the arguments they often had. Nothing could compare to the pain. The pain of knowing that Ron had left me. He had left me.

He'd gone and wasn't coming back.

Ron had left me, because he thought I fancied Harry.

Me and Harry? I wanted to laugh! Harry was like my brother, why couldn't Ron understand that? I thought he had known that by now.

I liked Ron for Merlin's sake! Since our fourth year, I'd been pining after him. How could he not see that? I thought he knew how I felt.

But he had left. He had left without giving me a chance to tell him how wrong he was. He had left before I could tell him that it was him I loved. He had left without a goodbye. He had never even given me a real chance.

Where would he go? What would he do? Would he be safe? All these questions and more plagued my mind. I tried to turn them off, but I couldn't. I let out a sob as a crash of thunder roared above me.

The trio had now become a duo.

I pursed my lips together. I loved him, and now I'd never have a chance to tell him.

My knees buckled beneath me and I fell to the ground. The earth was wet and muddy, but the scent was comforting. Pulling my knees to my chest, I just sat there and cried.

My pride had deserted me. "Ron…" I whispered, tears pouring down my face.

"What will Harry say?" I said to myself.

Hell, I didn't even know what to say. All of my emotions were tumbling around inside me, causing a plethora of feelings to emerge.

I was angry and hopeless… I loved Ron and hated him at the same time. But I mainly felt betrayed. How could Ron just leave like that? Didn't he know how important our mission was? The war wouldn't end until we helped Harry. Ron knew what we had signed up for, we both knew. I shook my head, wishing the tears would stop.

What would happen now? Would we continue on our mission?

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. I knew that my voice would be raw from screaming Ron's name into the night.

I knew I needed to get back to Harry. Closing my eyes, I let myself cry for a few more minutes. Hopefully to get it all out of my system.

Pulling myself to my feet, I started to make my way back towards the camp.

Right now, I just felt exhausted. I had a migraine from crying so much, and knew that my face was probably all puffy. I knew my hair was plastered to my face.

I saw the tent in the distance and just stopped. Could I face Harry right now? Knowing that our best friend had chosen to desert us?

I shook my head. Of course I could. Harry was my best friend, and he would be hurting just like I was. Taking a deep breath, I pushed aside the curtain and entered.

Harry's eyes widened when he took in my appearance. "He's g-g-gone!" Disapparated!" I cried. I threw myself into a chair and curled up. I could feel the tears begin to fall once more. Despair crept into my system. Ron was gone; he had abandoned us.

I heard Harry mutter something, and then felt my clothes dry. "Thanks," I muttered. A blanket appeared and covered my small form. Moments later, a kiss was pressed to my forehead.

Closing my eyes, I wished myself to fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all the interest in the story everyone! You all rock! A huge thanks to MrsBates93 for betaing this! JKR owns it all. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

The next morning, I woke up feeling completely disoriented. Looking around, I found that I had fallen asleep in the armchair. Why had I fallen asleep there? A yawn escaped my lips as I sat up. I looked around the tent and saw Harry was asleep in his bunk, snoring softly. A small smile formed on my lips. Harry only looked relaxed when he was asleep.

My eyes then gazed over to Ron's bed, only to find it empty.

And that's when it hit me, the memories of what had happened last night came rushing back into my mind. Ron had left last night. He had abandoned us.

Reaching up, I felt my face was stiff, which was from all the tears. Ron had left me… left Harry, without even looking back.

The tears started falling again, and I quickly covered my mouth to stifle the sob. Not wanting to wake Harry, I quickly left the tent.

Ron had left… and for some reason, I still couldn't wrap my head around what had happened. It was the worst kind of betrayal, one that I didn't see coming, and neither did Harry.

But crying over Ron wouldn't bring him back, and as much I as didn't want to think about it, there was work that needed to be done.

Moving towards the river, I quickly washed my face. I did my best to ignore the stabbing pain in my heart.

He's gone, and he's not coming back.

I swallowed my pain, and went back to the tent, towards the kitchen. I started to make breakfast, ignoring the realization that once Harry and I moved, Ron wouldn't be able to find us again. My enchantments were too strong, so he wouldn't be able to track us. We would be separated until Merlin knew when.

Harry stumbled into the bathroom, reappearing a few minutes later. From the corner of my eye, I saw he was in just as much shock as I was. I didn't wish him a good morning, because it wasn't one, and saying that would just hurt too much. So I quickly turned my face away so he wouldn't be able to see me.

We ate breakfast in silence. I knew my eyes were red and puffy, due to the fact that I hadn't slept well last night. Harry looked tired too, as if sleep hadn't come easily to him either.

And who could blame us? The night before had been one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives.

Ron was out there in the world now, and I had no idea whether he was safe, or if he was even alive! What if the snatchers we had seen the other night caught him? Or worse, what would have happened if his arm wasn't fully healed from splicing himself? All these thoughts plagued my mind throughout breakfast.

Harry started packing his things, and I knew it was time I did the same. But as I did, I dawdled, not wanting to leave just yet. I knew deep down it was pointless, but I couldn't help but hope.

Every time I heard the leaves rustle or a branch snap, my head would look up eagerly, somehow deluding myself into thinking Ron had come back.

But he wasn't coming back, and I needed to get that through in my head.

Every time I glanced up to look for Ron, I chided myself for being so foolish. He knew what he was doing when he left. He had made his choice, and I had made mine.

Casting a glance towards Harry, I saw him putting the tent into my bag. The circles under his eyes were huge, and my heart tightened. Harry didn't deserve everything he had gone through. He was a great friend, so sweet and strong; he didn't deserve all this negativity.

I was sure he was internally beating himself up for what had happened. And I knew all I could do was support him; I couldn't turn my back on him.

I looked at my watch, knowing I had been packing for well over an hour. It was time to leave and I knew it. I had packed, and re-packed the bag three times, and I knew I couldn't use that as an excuse again.

"Hermione," Harry said gently, causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

I looked at him, my eyes full of sadness. "Just give me one more minute," I whispered.

Harry nodded. Turning around, I took one last look at the riverbank we had been staying on. I knew this was the point of no return. Once we left, that would be it.

Taking off my scarf, I walked over to a tree, tying it around the body tightly. I squashed all the hurt and guilt I felt, taking a deep breath. I needed to do this. Giving my scarf once last tug, I turned away.

Walking up the bank towards Harry, I pushed all thoughts of Ron from my mind. I stood next to him, and we looked over the riverbank. Without any more delay, I grabbed Harry's hand and disapparated, reappearing on a windswept heather-covered hillside.

As soon as we arrived, I dropped Harry's hand, ignoring the feeling of guilt I felt. Looking around, I tried not to cry. My hand moved towards my face as I wiped the tears away.

Why did I feel guilty? I knew I was doing the right thing.

Turning away from Harry, I moved and sat down on top of a rock. A sob escaped my lips as I buried my face into my hands, crouching over so I was resting on my knees. My body shook with every sob that wracked through my body.

Ron had hurt me so much! The idiot! Where did he get the idea that he could just walk so easily out of my life? Out of Harry's life?

The grief consumed me, and I was unable to move.

I could hear Harry walk around in a circle, performing the spells that I usually did for our protection. He would make sure we were safe. Good Harry, always loving and supporting, putting others first. Instead of wallowing in his grief like I was, he was doing all the work, ensuring our safety. Harry was so selfless.

After he set the tent up, I quickly walked inside. I didn't say anything to Harry because really, what was there to say? I was hurt, and he was too.

Harry stayed outside, giving me some space. I lay in Ron's bed, hurt by his betrayal. I thought we had something? Obviously not if he could throw it all away so easily like it meant nothing.

I saw the radio from the corner of my eye. Reaching over, I turned it on. Maybe some music would help me feel better. Closing my eyes, I listened to the words, not really absorbing them.

A few minutes later, I heard Harry enter the tent. He didn't say anything, just sat down in a chair. The two of us listened to the music in silence. I could hear the wind whip across the tent; it must be cold outside. I wondered vaguely if Ron was somewhere safe and warm. Casting my eyes towards Harry, I saw he was staring at me, concern written across his face.

That was Harry, Mr Concern. I was lucky to have someone like him in my life.

Averting my eyes, I stared at the floor. As much as I wanted to deny it, I missed Ron. As I listened to the music, I tried to drown out all other thoughts.

Harry stood, crossing the floor towards me. Looking up, I saw him looking at me with a mixture of hurt and pity. He held his hand out.

I stared at his palm for a moment before rolling my eyes. Did he seriously want to dance right now? I wanted to ignore him, but my conscience chided me, telling me to do it.

With a soft sigh, I placed my hand in his, allowing him to pull me up. I looked at him expectedly, surprised when he reached around my neck and grabbed the Horcrux. I had forgotten that I was wearing it. He pulled it over my head, and threw it onto the bed.

Immediately I felt better. Without that vile thing weighing me down, I felt free. Looking up at Harry, he gave me a small smile. "Everything will be alright," he whispered. Grabbing my hands, he pulled me towards the center of the room.

With a silly grin on his face, he began to sway back and forth, taking me with him. The music played in the background as he moved, causing me to feel a bit better.

I began to move along to the beat with him, a smile gracing my lips. Harry laughed, pulling me a bit closer. Smiling, we danced. Lifting his arm up, I did a small twirl.

With a giggle, I held his hands up, allowing him to do a small twirl as well.

We danced together, each lost in our own thoughts with smiles on our faces.

I hadn't felt this carefree in a long time, or this safe. Harry pulled me in, his hand wrapping around my waist, the other holding my hand. His chin rested on my shoulder as I laid my head on his. His touch was warm and comforting.

I held onto him as if my life depended on it. Harry would always keep me safe, I could count on him. Where Ron was a wild card, Harry was a safety net. He would always be there for me, just like I would always be there for him.

We swayed slowly together, neither of us wanting to let go.

But the song ended, and I pulled away a bit. We stared at each other. I could get lost in Harry's bright green eyes. They were warm and loving, and they offered me all the comfort I would ever need.

Without even realizing what was happening, I found myself staring at his lips. I wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. I started to lean forward, my eyes closing. I felt his warm breath wash over my face.

My eyes snapped open, and I pulled back immediately. Shame welled up within me. I was about to kiss Harry. Hell, I wanted to kiss Harry.

Refusing to meet his gaze, I turned away. Looking at the floor, I went to my bedroom, closing the flap behind me.

The guilt rose up inside me, making me want to be sick. While Ron and I weren't official, I couldn't help but feel like I had just betrayed him.

And Harry? Harry was like my best friend, my brother! But if that was so, why did I feel like this?

I shook my head, burying my face into my pillow. I had never felt like this before, desire bubbling up within me. It was wrong, wasn't it? But why did it feel so right?

I had wanted to kiss Harry. I liked the way his hand felt on my hip, his head resting on my shoulder.

We loved each other, yes, because we had always been there for each other. Was it possible for that sibling-like love to turn into something else?

My mother used to tell me that "love was friendship set on fire," but was it really true? It could be, Ron was my best friend and I thought I loved him, but clearly that wasn't true.

But wanting Harry? That opened up a whole new can of worms. What would Ginny say? Hell, what would anyone say? Harry was off limits and I knew that. My body just wasn't acting rationally, that was all. I would get over it, and things would go back to normal.

At least that's what I kept telling myself. But I still couldn't quash the mixture of emotions that I felt.

Where did I stand with Ron? Where did I stand with Harry?

I didn't even know who I was anymore.

"Oh Hermione, what have you gotten yourself into?" I whispered to myself in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for all the interest in the story everyone! You all rock! A huge thanks to MrsBates93 for betaing this! JKR owns it all. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning, my head pounding. Sitting up in bed, I stared at the wall for a few minutes, allowing my thoughts to drift.

I thought that a good night's sleep would push all thoughts of Harry from my mind. I thought I'd wake up, feeling clear and refreshed, ready to put last night behind me.

Apparently I was wrong.

The feeling I felt last night was still there. And it honestly confused me.

What about Ron? Ron was the one I loved. But then again, Ron was also the one who had left us, leaving me behind broken-hearted.

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Harry had always been there for me. He was my rock, my life. He had been there for me when no one else had.

But then why had these feelings cropped up now, of all times?

With a sigh, I stood up and got dressed. I went out and made breakfast, not meeting Harry's gaze.

I didn't mention Ron or last night, and neither did he. And for that, I was grateful.

The day passed slowly, each of us just staying in our own little worlds. I thought about all of my conflicting emotions. Did I really fancy Harry? But more importantly, did he fancy me?

I bit my lip, wishing I had the answers to these questions. But life wasn't that easy.

Glancing over at Harry, I saw him pulling out the Marauder's Map. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he whispered. He cast a glance at me, but I quickly turned away. I didn't want him to know I had been staring.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as he examined the map thoroughly. Who was he looking for? Was he waiting to see if Ron had returned to Hogwarts? Or was he looking for Ginny's dot?

_Probably Ginny's_, I mused to myself. She was his girlfriend after all.

_But they had broken up before we left_, I reminded myself silently.

_But that was just for her own protection_, I argued back.

Pressing my hands to my temple I groaned. These thoughts going back and forth in my head were driving me mad. And I couldn't just ask Harry about Ginny because then it'd look suspicious and he'd ask questions. Questions that I wasn't ready to answer.

Vaguely, I wondered how Luna and Neville were doing. I hoped they were safe.

I hadn't liked Luna at first, but after a while, she had started to grow on me. She was headstrong, not willing to change her thoughts or beliefs for anyone. And that made her special. I valued her friendship, and hoped she was all right wherever she was.

It was the same with Neville. He was a good friend, and was finally starting to come into himself. I knew he'd look after the others while we were away. He was good like that.

Harry let out a growl.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at him worriedly.

He turned to me, sighing. "The Carrows."

I raised my eyebrows. "Death Eaters?"

Harry gave a curt nod. "I see their dots disappear a lot, not to mention seeing them alone with students…"

I noticed his hands had clenched into fists. "Harry?" I asked gently.

"They're probably being tortured."

I frowned. I had always imagined Hogwarts as a safe place, but it was obvious that wasn't true anymore. "I'm sure they're okay," I whispered.

Harry looked up. "It's my fault."

I shook my head. "Harry, don't say things like that."

"But it's true, if I had just turned myself in, then this wouldn't have happened."

I couldn't stand it anymore. Seeing all that pain and torture on his face. Standing, I looked at him. "Harry, stop being like this! You're a great person, and we're doing the right thing. We have to do this."

Harry looked up at me, uncertainty in his eyes. "But maybe it's just poi-"

I slapped him across the face.

Stumbling back, my eyes widened in horror. I shook my head, "Harry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…"

Harry was quiet for a moment.

"I deserved it."

I stifled a giggle. "Harry, I can't believe I just did that."

He smiled at me. "I guess this was how Malfoy felt in our third year."

At that, I laughed. "I'll never forget the look on his face."

Harry laughed too. "I still can't believe you just punched him like that."

"Me either, but it felt good."

He smiled. Glancing at the map, he quickly closed it. He didn't want to look at it any more.

"I'm sorry I hit you," I whispered.

Harry smiled. "It's all right. I needed it."

Without even thinking about it, I leaned forward and gave him a tight hug. His arms felt warm around me, it felt like I was home.

A blush crept up on my cheeks as soon as I realized what was happening. I tried to pull away, but Harry just tightened his grip. Why wouldn't he let me go?

Looking up, I saw Harry looking down at me. A small smile played on his lips as his green eyes bored into mine. "Hermione," he whispered, saying my name slowly, as if it was the first time he had ever said it. Chills ran across my spine, setting me on edge.

Before I could say anything, he lowered his face and closed his eyes.

What? Was he going to…? A flurry of emotions bubbled up inside me.

His lips met mine.

Immediately I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck. I pulled him closer. One hand pressed on my lower back, the other on my face. I sighed, allowing my lips to part. Harry took this as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside my mouth. It probed and prodded at me, causing me to smile.

Who knew kissing could feel this good?

My eyes flung open, and I pulled away. "Harry. We shouldn't… I mean… I…" I stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"Hermione," Harry said gently, "I want this, and I know you do too." Leaning down, he captured my lips in another kiss.

His words echoed in my mind, making me realize something,_ I did want him_. I had always wanted Harry, but had never given it much thought until now. But being here with him now, just the two of us, the feel of his hands on my waist, and his lips against mine put it all into perspective.

I wanted Harry. I wanted to be there for him and to be there with him.

He was my rock, my support, my best friend. The two of us shared a bond unlike any other. And what better way to start something new, than with a close bond already there beneath it all?

I gasped as his teeth scraped against my lip. I could feel the fire growing in my stomach and I yearned to pull him closer. I wanted him, to know every bit of him that no one else knew. And I wanted him all to myself.

Harry pulled away, and I felt reality land like a stone in my stomach. "Harry?" I whispered. My voice was full of emotion and desire, surprising myself.

He smiled. "I don't regret that," he said, tucking a loose curl behind my ear.

"I don't either," I said, smiling.

Harry pulled away, but kept our hands together. Maybe things would work out after all.

I tossed and turned in my bed later that night. I was happy that something had finally happened with Harry. It felt right, as if it was meant to be. But I couldn't help the guilt I felt in my chest over Ron. I felt as if I was somehow betraying him.

_But we had never been anything to start with_, I quickly reminded myself.

I was at a perfect liberty to kiss whoever I liked.

* * *

The next few days passed by in a similar fashion.

We remained in our own worlds, barely speaking. Harry's hand often found mine, offering me warmth and comfort. Neither of us dared mention Ron.

I would flip through my notes and other textbooks while Harry would play with the Snitch or the Marauder's Map.

We moved location every few days to avoid the Snatchers.

But I knew the peace and quiet wouldn't last forever.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for all the interest in the story everyone! You all rock! A huge thanks to MrsBates93 for betaing this! JKR owns it all. A huge reminder that this story is rated M, so there is some lemons in this! So, mature audiences only! Enjoy!

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Chapter 4

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, breaking me from my thoughts. Looking up, I saw him take a seat next to me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking in his appearance. Harry looked like he had been crying.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Harry whispered.

I raised my eyebrows, turning to face him. "Harry, it's okay if you don't know what to do, you're only a boy."

"But Dumbledore left me this mission! One that I can't even fucking complete because I don't know what to do or where to go!" Harry exclaimed. His eyes flashed with anger and I immediately became worried.

"'Harry, take it off."

"No, it's fine, I just feel-"

"Now, Harry," I said, raising my voice. When he didn't move, I reached over and pulled the necklace over his head.

"Better?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Not really," Harry grumbled. "Ron was right Hermione; I have no idea what I'm doing."

I cringed at the use of Ron's name. "Harry, it doesn't matter. I'm still here, and I know we'll figure it out."

"But I know nothing! I have no ideas, nothing to destroy the Horcruxes with…I'm afraid," he said the last part softly.

"Afraid?" Why in Merlin's name was Harry afraid? "You don't have anything to be afraid of, Harry."

"Yes, I do! Merlin, Hermione, everything has changed so quickly. I'm not afraid for me anymore, but for you!" He was standing at this point, pacing back and forth. "I'm so damn scared that you're just going to leave… that you'll just tell me you've had enough and leave me too!"

I was stunned. Slowly, I stood up to face him. "Harry, I'm not going anywhere. This is too important… and I would never leave you."

Before I knew what was happening, Harry had crushed his lips to mine. The force of his body sent us tumbling backwards onto the bed. One of his hands cupped my face, tilting it upwards so he had better access. His other hand gripped my waist tightly, as if he was afraid to let go.

Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck. I allowed myself to enjoy the kiss, pushing all other thoughts from my mind. It felt so good, and yet so wonderful at the same time.

Breaking the kiss, I pulled back and looked into Harry's green eyes.

"I won't ever leave you," I promised.

Harry captured my lips once more. I could feel his soft hands on my body while his lips moved down to my neck. As he nibbled and sucked, I let out a gasp. The sensation was absolutely wonderful, sending my heart into overdrive.

Pressing my nose into his hair, I inhaled deeply. The smell was intoxicating; his scent was sweet, but unfailingly masculine.

"Say you're mine," Harry whispered against the base of my throat.

I knew what he was doing, he was asking permission. This was such a huge step… did I even want to go this far so soon? I knew that I loved Harry. Hell, I had loved him all along, even though I hadn't realized it until now. But did I want to do this? Did I want to give myself to him in such an intimate way?

Sex was a big thing. I knew that once I did it, there would be no turning back. You could only lose your virginity once, so I knew I had to be absolutely positive.

Was Harry asking because he was so depressed? Or was this just his way of trying to make sure that I wouldn't leave him? He wasn't using me though... I knew that. Harry would never do that to me.

It seemed a bit soon, but the moment just felt so right.

"I'm yours, Harry," I whispered into the silence.

Harry's eyes met mine. "Are you sure?"

I gave a small nod. "Yes, I want you," I whispered, still not trusting my voice. And it was true, I did want this. However, I was still a bit scared.

His lips brushed over mine, gently this time. Closing my eyes, I shut out every other emotion. I just wanted to enjoy this. His lips moved lower, his tongue licked and caressed my neck, just below my ear. I shivered. He trailed kisses along my jaw, moving closer and closer to my lips.

"Harry, please," I begged.

His lips brushed against mine, his tongue darting along my bottom lip, gently sucking it. I let out a soft moan. It felt so good! I never knew kissing could feel this good.

Harry's tongue started to explore my mouth, tasting and memorizing me. His fingers gently traced my neck down to the front of my sweater. Gracefully, he unzipped it and pulled it off my shoulders. Continuing the kiss, he unbuttoned my shirt and removed it. I trembled under his touch.

"Tell me to stop if you want me to," Harry whispered, giving me one last chance to change my mind.

"No," I whispered, my voice thick with desire. He kissed me again while removing my bra and exposing my breasts. I shuddered as the cool air caressed me, hardening my nipples. His mouth left mine, trailing its way down my neck. He pressed a kiss to my shoulders, causing me to gasp.

"Harry, please," I moaned, although I wasn't quite sure what I was begging for. I arched my body up towards his, hissing in pleasure when his tongue darted out and touched my nipple.

He took my breast fully into his mouth and began to suck. My hands tangled into his shaggy black hair, gripping roughly. His other hand crept up and grasped my other breast. The sensation was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

Small throaty moans escaped me every few seconds, alerting Harry to the pleasure I was feeling.

His mouth moved further down, placing small, wet kisses on my stomach. The butterflies took off, causing goosebumps to erupt over my skin. Quickly, he undid my jeans and pulled them off.

I had never known what it'd be like to want a man, fully. But this, what I was feeling now, was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I wanted Harry; I wanted him to be mine, and only mine. His hands crept upwards, gripping my waist.

"Tell me to stop…" Harry whispered, checking once more to see if I was okay with this.

"Touch me, Harry," I begged, a bit surprised at the neediness in my voice.

He began to kiss my inner thighs, slowly making his way towards my center. I could feel my heart beating erratically while my breathing became heavy. I was practically trembling in anticipation.

Without warning, his tongue plunged into me and I gasped. My eyes rolled back as another gasp escaped my lips. I had never felt anything so absolutely wonderful before!

Slowly, his tongue worked upwards until it brushed my nub. I cried out in pleasure. His tongue began to swirl and tease, bringing me closer and closer to… well, what exactly, I wasn't sure… but I wanted it more than anything.

Harry must have sensed my desperation because without warning, he increased his pace. Within moments, my body shuddered, feeling as if the world was exploding around me. I cried out his name as the tingles spread throughout my body, warming me.

I frowned as Harry pulled back.

"More," I whispered. That felt nice, but I wanted him. I wanted _all_ of him. Reaching up, I unbuttoned his shirt. Harry smiled at me, quickly unfastening his belt.

"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked me once more, crawling into the bed.

I nodded. "Harry, I love you, please stop asking me if I'm sure."

"You love me?"

I froze, not realizing that I had just admitted it to him. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. "Yes, I do."

Harry let out a sigh of relief, "Good, because I love you too."

His lips crashed onto mine.

He quickly moved between my legs, positioning his member at my entrance. Fear rose up within me, but I quickly squashed it. I wanted this, and Harry would take care of me.

Harry's eyes met mine. I gave a quick nod. Slowly, he entered me. I gasped at the sensation. It stung for a bit, but I knew it'd be over soon. Harry quickly kissed my tears as he waited for me to adjust.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. Slowly, he pulled out and entered me again. He did this slowly for a bit, allowing me to adjust.

"Faster," I moaned, starting to enjoy the sensations he was making me feel.

Harry immediately obeyed, thrusting into me quickly. His fingers moved down and found my clit, quickly rubbing it. I gasped, tangling my hands into his hair. Pulling his mouth towards me, I kissed him hard, my teeth scraping against his lips. I raised my hips, meeting his thrusts.

Harry quickened his pace.

I let out a cry, my walls shuddering around him. Harry gave one more final thrust before I felt his hot seed burst inside me.

Harry collapsed on top of me, his breathing heavy.

"You're squishing me," I whispered, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

Harry chuckled. "Sorry." He rolled over to the side, giving me a small smile.

I met his green eyes, my chest heaving.

"That was amazing," I said.

I knew why people had sex now. How could they not if it felt that good?

"I really do love you, Hermione," Harry whispered. "I just never realized it until now."

"What about Ginny?" I asked, finally voicing my fears.

He shook his head. "She's nothing compared to you. I thought I loved her, but I… it just didn't feel right."

"Okay," I whispered. Harry pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "You're the only one I want to be with, Hermione."

"Good," I whispered before falling asleep in his arms.

* * *

I was outside stoking the fire to life when I heard Harry's voice call out.

"Yes?" I asked; he sounded frantic.

"I figured it out! Why the snitch wouldn't open for me!"

"Well?" I asked, eager to hear what he had found out.

"Well, I remembered you saying that snitches had flesh memories, but what I forgot was that I didn't catch my first snitch with my hands!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

My eyes widened. "Oh, why didn't I think of that?!"

"I almost swallowed it!"

I nodded, the memories coming back to me. I had been so worried that Harry was going to choke.

Holding my hand out, he dropped the golden snitch into it. Holding it up, I squinted. I noticed words were written on the outside. "I open at the close," I said, reading it aloud.

"What do you think that means?" Harry asked, looking at me.

I almost laughed to myself. Once again, Harry wanted answers from me. I don't know why he thought I knew the answer to everything! I mean, I was smart, but I wasn't that smart! I read the words once more. "I don't know what that means," I answered honestly.

Harry frowned.

"I'm sorry," I added.

Harry shrugged. "I'm sure we'll figure it out at some point."

"Another thing to add to our list," I said, rolling my eyes.

Harry glared at me.

Quickly, I held my hands up in defense. "Don't get your knickers in a twist; I was only saying that this is just a giant puzzle. We'll figure it out though, together."

Harry smiled at that. Leaning forward, he pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

"I love you," he whispered.

I smiled. Hearing those three words come from his mouth was heaven.

"I love you too, Harry," I replied.

And it was true. The two of us were meant to be together, and I don't know how I hadn't realized it earlier.

Harry sat down next to me, placing the snitch in his pocket. "Do you think the others are all right?"

"I really don't know, Harry. They're all strong, but I just don't know. I'd rather not think about it."

"Don't want to get your hopes up in case your disappointed," Harry said softly.

Turning to him, I gave a short nod. "Yeah, I suppose that's it."

"I feel the same way. I hope everyone's okay, but that's really all we can do."

"We'll always have hope," I said, reaching over to grab his hand. "That's something that can never be taken away from us."

"And love," Harry added, closing his eyes.

"The two most powerful things in the world," I said softly.

Harry nodded in agreement.

We'd get through this… we had to.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey everyone, thank you so much for all the support you've been giving me! Now I know half of you were upset Harry & Hermione had sex, and the other half was cheering them on. I can't please everyone, but I will explain my logic. To me, the two of them have loved each other for quite some time now, they just couldn't realize it. They already know each other inside out, and it just felt right. *Shrugs* Once again, thanks to MrsBates93 for being the most amazing beta! I don't know where I'd be without you!

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Chapter 5

I sat up, a yawn escaping my lips. Turning over, I saw Harry with his face buried in his pillow. We had made love again last night and had fallen asleep quickly afterwards.

Looking around, I spotted my sweater. I grabbed it, pulling it on. I then grabbed some jeans and slid them on. I stared at Harry for a moment. He looked so peaceful while he slept. Leaning over, I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I love you," I murmured.

Grabbing the blanket off the other bed, I wrapped it around myself, going outside. I just stood for a while, lost in my thoughts.

I loved Harry. I knew it was too soon to be in love with him already but I was. It seemed like we had only just gotten together.

But I've known him for a very long time. Maybe that's why I had no restraints about being intimate with him. Harry already knew me intimately, seeing he had been my best friend for seven years.

Seven years. So much had happened in that time.

I had always suspected I was special, but never in a million years did I think I was a witch. I was so grateful the day when Professor McGonagall came and explained everything to me and my parents. It was like everything had just suddenly clicked into place.

I was special. Not just some sort of freak that couldn't control herself. I cringed, remembering all the bullying I had gone through. What I wouldn't give to get hold of those mean girls now.

I sighed, my thoughts going back to Harry.

I couldn't believe I loved him. It seemed like it had just happened so fast. Well, it had happened fast. But it felt right, and I wasn't going to give that feeling up.

I would stand by him, love him and support him through whatever was to come. Whether it would be facing Voldemort or dealing with the wrath of the Weasley clan, I would stand by him.

It had always been the two of us, and that was something I would never change.

But in the back of my mind, I knew I had hurt Ron. I couldn't even imagine how upset he would be when he found out. I know you can't help who you fall in love with, but unfortunately, I doubt Ron would see it that way.

Ron was my best friend. I really valued the bond we had, and couldn't bear the thought of losing him. I could only hope things wouldn't change too drastically.

"Hermione?"

Turning, I saw Harry sleepily make his way towards me. He bent over, pressing a quick kiss to my lips, before making some tea.

"Did you sleep okay?" I asked. Lately, he'd been having nightmares.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, last night was the first good night's sleep I've had in a while."

"Good." I really hated seeing him so torn up. I'd heard him scream Sirius' and Cedric's names sometimes. I knew their deaths weren't his fault, but Harry tended to blame himself for everything. I hoped that someday he'd be able to let go of that guilt. It wasn't fair that he carried it around, on top of everything else that he was dealing with.

"Hermione, I have an idea," he began.

I narrowed my eyes. I knew that tone of voice. He was going to suggest something; something that I probably would think was stupid.

"What?" I asked warily.

"I think we should go to Godric's Hallow."

I let out a laugh. He couldn't be serious, could he? But when I saw the seriousness on his face, I immediately stopped laughing. "No."

"What? Hermione, we have to go there!"

I sighed. Of course he was going to fight me on this. "We can't go there, Harry! Don't you understand how dangerous that would be? He's probably there, waiting for you."

"But we have to risk it! Hermione, it just feels right," Harry protested, moving closer to me.

I shook my head. "It's far too dangerous. We just can't risk it, Harry."

He mumbled something angrily under his breath before storming off.

I sighed. I hated feeling like the bad guy, but I knew I was right. It really was too dangerous for us to go to Godric's Hallow. That's where Harry's parents had died. It was where it had all began. Voldemort would be watching that place like a hawk, I was sure of it.

Harry was too sentimental for his own good. It was why Voldemort used Sirius to lure Harry into the Ministry. It was why Harry had always charged headfirst into something, without thinking it through. Being emotional was a good characteristic to have, but sometimes Harry allowed his emotions to block his thoughts.

I had to take on the role of being Harry's conscious, which is actually pretty annoying. Without me, Harry probably would have stormed into the Ministry now, demanding that Voldemort leave Hogwarts alone. It was a terrible idea.

* * *

I didn't see Harry for the rest of the day. I knew he was still mad at me, but my decision was final. I wouldn't let him risk it. And if he wanted to be an arse about it, then so be it.

My stomach growled. I ignored it though, crawling into bed, my bed. If he wanted to be mad at me, fine. Two could play that game.

I closed my eyes, counting to ten. Worry was starting to build up in my chest. What if something had happened to Harry? No, I would have felt the wards shift. He was just being an arse; there was no need for me to panic.

I felt the other side of my bed dip. Turning, I saw Harry trying to creep in.

"No," I said, putting my hand to his chest and giving him a small shove.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Yes, well, I'm mad at you, so you can sleep in your own bed tonight," I stated, anger seeping into my words. Why couldn't he understand I was just trying to protect him?

"I can't sleep with you?" he asked softly.

I rolled over fully so I could face him. "Harry, you acted so immaturely today. Storming off when you didn't get your way like a petulant child. I was only trying to look out for you, but you couldn't see that. So no, you can't sleep with me tonight."

He frowned, but nodded.

"Goodnight," he whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Goodnight," I replied stiffly, before rolling over. I wanted to call him back and tell him to get in, but I stopped myself. Harry had hurt me, and I had every right to be angry with him.

Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A shout woke me up. I bolted upright, my hand gripping my wand firmly. Looking around the tent, I noticed everything was normal, except for Harry.

He was twitching, his body jerking in unnatural ways. He was having a nightmare. Part of me was tempted to ignore him, but despite my anger, I just couldn't do that. I padded softly across the room.

Lifting the blanket, I slid in next to him.

"Harry, it's okay," I whispered.

I knew he wouldn't be able to hear me though.

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly. Harry continued to struggle in my arms. "Harry, it's okay, none of it is real."

"Sirius, no!" he cried, his body shaking.

I could feel the tears well up in my eyes, poor Sirius. Poor Harry for losing him so suddenly. Sirius often grated on my nerves, but he was loved. Harry had finally found a father figure in someone, only to lose him so suddenly. I couldn't even imagine his pain. Harry whimpered. I hugged him tighter, whispering things gently in his ear.

He began to fight me, pushing against my arms.

"No!" he cried out.

"Harry," I said, hugging him tighter. "Harry, it's okay. It's just a dream, Harry." I pressed small kisses to his forehead.

"No, I can't lose you too," he murmured.

I stopped kissing him. What was he dreaming about now?

"I can't lose you, Hermione," he said, before his body started to twitch again.

He was having a nightmare about me? About losing me? A part of me was touched that he cared so much about me. Another part of me was saddened by him thinking I was going to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere, Harry," I whispered.

He mumbled something incoherently.

"You mean so much to me, Harry, I won't abandon you. I will not leave you to deal with this alone," I said softly to him, running my fingers through his messy black hair. I knew he couldn't hear me, but the words were offering me comfort.

"We'll defeat him together," I whispered.

I continued to whisper to him softly, and eventually Harry stopped fidgeting and moaning. He lay against me, his head now nuzzled into the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him there.

Harry's strength still astounded me. He had worked so hard to get to where he was now, and I couldn't be more proud of him. I know Harry has made mistakes in the past, but he has always used them to grow. People learn from their mistakes, and I know Harry tries. And really, that is all that matters sometimes.

I glanced down at his sleeping form, a smile creeping onto my face. Sometimes when I looked at him, I still saw that eleven year old boy I met on the train all those years ago. But then there were times where I looked at him, and was amazed by the man before me.

But the task placed upon his shoulders, and mine, was incredibly daunting. It was too much to ask of someone so young in my opinion. But I wouldn't lose hope, I just couldn't.

A sigh escaped my lips. I grabbed the blanket, pulling it over us.

"It'll be okay, Harry, we'll be okay," I whispered into the darkness.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Listening to the sound of Harry's steady breathing, I fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: You seriously all rock! I don't know where I'd be without all of your support, so thank you all! Anything you recognize obviously isn't mine! And many thanks to the wonderful MrsBates for being the best beta a girl could ever have! Thank you! I hope you all enjoy!

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Chapter 6

The next morning I sleepily opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a pair of bright green eyes staring at me. I smiled at him before leaning forward and planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"How did you get in my bed?" Harry asked, brushing a stray curl out of my face.

"I walked over and crawled in," I replied.

He smirked. "Don't be cheeky**,** Hermione; last I checked you were mad at me."

I frowned. "You had a nightmare last night, a bad one."

Harry sat up. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"Harry, you have nothing to be sorry for. You can't help having nightmares, and I really don't mind comforting you during them. It just means I get to snuggle you tightly." I made a face at him.

Harry shook his head, laughing. "Hermione, you can snuggle me whenever you want, nightmare or not."

"Okay," I said, before capturing his lips in a kiss. My arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer. I never knew that being with someone could make me feel so complete. And I really never knew that that someone could be Harry.

After kissing for a couple of minutes, I reluctantly untangled myself from Harry's arms. Pulling myself upright, I stole the blanket, wrapping it around my body. I moved towards the edge of the tent, pulling back the flap. It was snowing. I watched as the snowflakes fell to the ground, melting once they hit the floor.

I loved snowflakes. No two were alike. When I was younger, I wanted to be a snowflake when I grew up. I wanted to be different, with no one else like me. I wanted to stand out, to be my own person. I suppose I was different now, a complete individual. Last year, Professor McGonagall had told me that I was one of the smartest Muggle-born witches to have ever passed through the halls of Hogwarts. I was completely flattered and incredibly proud that I stood out to her.

My Muggle-born status made me stand out from the others, even if it wasn't always in a positive light. But I was proud of myself. And no one could take that away from me.

"What are you looking at?" Harry asked from his place in the bed.

Turning around I saw he was pulling his pants up. I blushed, although I had already seen what was underneath.

"Hermione?" he said when I didn't respond.

"Oh, it's snowing," I said, glancing back outside. I chewed on my lip. "I think it's almost Christmas time."

Harry frowned. "Have we really been out here for that long?"

It seemed like only yesterday that we had barely escaped the Burrow with our lives.

"Yeah, I think we have," I answered quietly.

Harry went outside and I went towards my bunk, digging through my stuff. Where was my book? The one Dumbledore had left me. Finding it, I placed it in my lap and snuggled up on the bed. I had read the book over and over, knowing there was a hint in here. But nothing ever popped out.

But Dumbledore had left it to me for a reason, I just knew it. I opened the book and started to read.

* * *

Two hours later, I found it. Whatever it was…

"Harry?" I called out. "Could you help me with something?"

I felt excited that I had finally found something. Hopefully it was something that could help us.

Harry entered the tent moments later, coming over and taking a seat next to me. Leaning forward, I showed him the paper in The Tales of Beetle the Bard.

"Look at this symbol," I said, pointing to the top of the page. It looked like a triangular eye, its pupil crossed with a vertical line.

Harry looked at me sympathetically. "I never took Ancient Runes, Hermione."

Mentally, I smacked myself. Of course he hadn't taken Ancient Runes, which is why he couldn't read anything on the page. "Right, well, this symbol here," I tapped it as I continued, "isn't a run and it's not in the list of symbols either. At first I thought it was just a picture of an eye, but now I don't think it is! It's been inked in, look, someone's drawn it there, and it isn't really part of the book. Think, Harry, have you ever seen it before?" I stared into his eyes as he tried to remember.

Please, let this be something, I mentally begged. We needed a lead… or something!

"No… I haven't," Harry answered apologetically.

I felt my face fall. "Are you sure, Harry? Absolutely sure?"

He scrunched his face up. "No… wait a moment. I have!"

"What? Where?" I demanded, eager for answers.

"Isn't that the same symbol Luna's dad was wearing round his neck at the wedding?"

Looking closer, I thought back to that night. "That's right! It is the same symbol." I smiled, realizing I had found something, but then frowned. If Luna's father had been wearing it, then it probably wasn't important. Damn it.

But the next words out of Harry's mouth changed my thoughts about this being a dead end.

"Then it's Grindelwald's mark."

I stared at him, open mouthed. Seriously? Was that seriously Grindelwald's mark? "What?" I asked in disbelief.

He nodded. "Krum told me at the wedding. Durmstrang is deep within the Dark Arts, as you probably already know, and he's seen it around the school. That's why he was all bent out of shape at the wedding; before Xeno was just walking around with that on his chest… it's like the Dark Mark."

"Grindelwald's mark?" I repeated once more. I stared at Harry for a moment before looking back to the symbol in the book. "I've never heard of Grindelwald having a mark. There's no mention of it in anything I've read." And as far as I'm concerned, if it isn't in the books I read, then it doesn't exist. Simple as that.

Harry shrugged. "Well, like I said, Krum reckoned that symbol was carved on a wall at Durmstrang, and that Grindelwald himself put it there."

I leaned back on the bed, frowning. I hated it when I came across information this way. I prided myself on knowing everything, and when something this big escaped my notice, well, it left a sour taste in my mouth. How could no book have ever mentioned this before? It's a rather big deal. But there was one thing that was making me even more uncomfortable.

"If this really is a symbol of Dark Magic, what's it doing in a book of children's stories?" I asked, voicing my concerns.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it is weird. And you'd think Scrimgeour would have noticed it. He was Minister after all; he ought to have been an expert on the dark stuff."

"I know…" It just wasn't adding up. "Perhaps he thought it was an eye, just like I did. All the other stories have little pictures over the titles." I flipped to another section to show him. Flipping back, I stared at the same symbol. It had become an enigma to me, and I was determined to solve it… I had to.

But while Harry was here, I might as well tell him. "Harry, I decided you are right. I really don't want to go to Godric's Hollow, but I really think we'll have to."

"Really? You changed your mind?" he asked, looking at me with confusion in his eyes.

I shrugged. "I guess I did, yeah. We don't really have any other choice. We don't know where the next Horcrux is… and without the sword, we can't really do-" I froze, something had finally clicked into place.

"Harry!" I cried excitedly.

"What?" he asked, looking alarmed.

"I don't know why I didn't think of it before! I mean, now that I am, I can't think of anywhere else it could be either. It's going to be dangerous, but the more I think about it, the more likely it seems that it'll be there," I rambled on excitedly. I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!

"Hermione, what's there?" he pressed again.

"The sword, Harry!" I cried. "Dumbledore must have known you'd want to go there, and well, Godric's Hollow is Godric Gryffindor's birthplace…"

"Wait, what? Godric Gryffindor was born in Godric's Hollow?"

I stared at him, a look of disbelief on my face. "Honestly, Harry, have you ever opened and even read _A History of Magic?_"

He looked sheepish. "Not really… maybe once when I first got it… I'm not sure, but anyways, continue."

"Harry, where else would Godric's Hollow have gotten its name? From some other Godric?" How could he have not pieced it together?

"Okay, Hermione, we've established that I'm an idiot. Move on."

I smiled at him. "But don't you see? Godric Gryffindor, Godric's Hollow, Gryffindor's sword; don't you think Dumbledore would have expected you to make the connection?"

"Oh… well... yeah, probably. But to be honest, I'm sure he expected you to make the connection. Given that you're the brightest witch of our age and everything," Harry said, grinning sheepishly.

"You're lucky you have me, Harry James Potter."

He smiled, but it faltered a bit.

"What is it?" I asked gently.

"Well, erm, remember what Ginny's great-aunt said? Muriel?"

I shook my head. I had honestly blocked out everything that vile woman had ever said.

"She said Bathilda Bagshot still lives in Godric's Hollow."

My eyes widened. She had written _A History of Magic_! If we could talk to her, who knows what sort of information she could tell us.

A gasp escaped my lips.

"What?" Harry asked, looking around nervously.

"Harry, what if Dumbledore gave her the sword? What if he entrusted it to her?" Excitement filled my whole body. At first I thought Harry just wanted to go to Godric's Hollow to visit his old home… which I'm sure a small part of him did. But after really thinking about, I saw that we just had to go! How could I have not realized earlier? This place was bound to give us a lead of some sort.

Harry was quiet for a moment, but nodded. "Yeah, he might have left the sword with her. So are we going to go to Godric's Hollow?" he asked.

The amount of excitement radiating from him was adorable.

"Yes, Harry, but we'll have to think it through carefully. I don't want to run in there, wands blazing. It's going to be incredibly dangerous and I don't want to take any chances."

Harry's face fell a bit.

I stared at him. "Did you honestly think I'd say we could go right now? Like, just pack up and Apparate? Harry, you know me better than that," I said, shaking my head.

He pursed his lips. "Right, I knew that."

"We'll need to practice disapparating together under the Invisibility Cloak for a start, and I think using Disillusionment Charms would be a good idea too. Rather be safe than sorry," I murmured. I tapped my fingers to my lips for a moment, thinking. "Unless you think we should go the whole hog and use the Polyjuice Potion? In that case we'll need to collect hair from somebody. I actually think we'd better do that Harry, the thicker our disguises the better."

I looked over to Harry to see what he thought about the plan and saw that he had completely spaced out. His eyes were glazed over and he was paying no attention to me.

With a sigh, I shook my head. "We'll finish this conversation later."

Harry still didn't answer.

Instead of bothering him, I decided to let him have some time to himself. Getting up, I went outside to make something for dinner. In my mind I went over different ideas and mentally thanked myself for bringing a pre-made bottle of Polyjuice Potion. I could talk things over with Harry later on, once he had figured out what he was going to do.

Today had been a good day, and I was confident we were moving forward in the right direction. We finally had a lead.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for all the love and support guys! I appreciate it all so much! Thanks to MrsBates93 for being an awesome beta as well! Enjoy! Xx

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Chapter 7

I took a deep breath, inhaling slowly. In, out. In, out. I repeated this for a few minutes, hoping to clear my thoughts.

I was afraid. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I had been so afraid.

There were so many things that could go wrong with this plan. So many factors that were unaccounted for.

But looking at Harry, I saw he was eagerly bouncing on his toes. He wanted to go to Godric's Hollow; in fact, I wasn't sure how much longer he would wait for me.

I'm overcautious, I know that. But I still couldn't help but worry.

We had practiced Apparating together under the Invisibility Cloak, so I knew we were all set right then at that moment. And we had both agreed that we'd make the trip as quickly as possible, not lingering in one area for too long. So everything should be fine, right?

No. I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"Hermione," Harry said, coming closer. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "We'll be fine, okay? You need to stop worrying."

I laughed dryly. "Harry, I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about you. Worry is my middle name."

He grinned cheekily at me. "You always worry; why don't you just relax for once? This will be easy."

"Easy? Honestly, Harry, there's no such thing as easy when it comes to you. I've been looking after you for all these years, doing everything! That's probably why you think it'll be easy," I replied, rolling my eyes.

He simply grinned at me again.

"I'm surprised you haven't given me an ulcer yet," I grumbled under my breath.

"An ulcer?" Harry asked, suddenly looking worried. "Do I really worry you that much?"

"Of course you do, Harry!" I said exasperatedly. "You always dive head first into things, without really thinking about it. And I'm just afraid one of these days; I won't be around to help you!"

He pulled me in for a hug. I hugged him back, blinking away the one tear that had appeared.

I knew Harry meant well, but it really bothered me some times how he didn't think. I swear he'd be the death of me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

I pulled away slightly. "It's all right, I'm used to it. I've had a lot of practice, you know."

He leant down and brushed his lips against mine. "I'll be more careful," he promised.

"And I'll believe that when I see it," I replied, smirking at him. Looking around, I realized everything was just about packed. We were ready.

And the sun was setting. Perfect.

I reached into my bag, pulling out the ready to go Polyjuice Potion. My thoughts drifted to our second year, when I had accidentally grabbed the wrong hair. Hopefully, we wouldn't have a repeat of that this time.

Harry reached into his pocket, pulling out two small bags. We had gone into a nearby Muggle town and had sneakily obtained some hairs from two unsuspecting Muggles. He handed me one bag, keeping the other for himself.

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking at me.

I nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

We each placed the hairs into the Polyjuice Potion, watching as it started to bubble and change consistency. Mine turned a light pink, but still smelled absolutely horrible. I cringed a little.

Harry's was still mucky looking. "Not much better than Goyle then," he said, grinning.

"We'll see," I mumbled. "One, two, three," we said before knocking our drinks back.

Immediately I had to fight the urge to throw up. I forced myself to swallow the Potion, breathing in through my nose.

Once it was all the way down, I gasped for air. Looking at Harry, I saw he was bent over with his hands on his knees.

"Don't throw it up," I warned. "It's all I have."

"I'm not… I don't think," he said, although he looked a bit green.

I shuddered as I felt my body begin to change. I felt myself grow shorter, immediately thanking Merlin I was tall for my age. My face began to change as well, although I couldn't tell exactly what was changing.

Looking up, I saw Harry was now a bald, middle-aged man. I wondered if I'd ever see the real Harry grow old. A part of me desperately wished I would.

"You don't look like yourself," he said, taking in my appearance.

"Yes, well, Harry, you don't look like yourself either. That's the whole point."

He grinned. "Well, we're ready. Let's go."

I put the rest of our things in my small beaded bag, storing it in my coat pocket. It'd be safe there. Glancing at Harry, I saw he was still wearing the Horcrux. As much as I didn't want him wearing it, he refused to take it off. It would be far too easy to lose, and if that happened, we'd be back to square one.

"Come here," he whispered, snaking his arms around my waist. Harry pulled me closer, before covering us both with the Invisibility Cloak.

I was glad that James had left this to his son. Without it, we would have gotten in so much trouble years ago! It was a lifesaver when used at the right moment.

Just not when Harry was sneaking to the kitchens for food.

"Ready?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear.

"Yes," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist. Closing my eyes, I felt the familiar pull of Apparition. We landed with a thud and I cringed as I felt my breakfast try to make a reappearance. Swallowing the bile down, I turned around.

It was snowing.

Oh hell, why didn't I think of that? All my planning for nothing.

I looked around and saw that we were standing in a snowy lane under a dark blue sky. Looking up, I saw the stars were beginning to come out, twinkling. It was beautiful.

Harry's hands slid off my waist, moving to my hand.

I could see the twinkling of streetlights up ahead. The centre to the village must be up there.

"All this snow!" I whispered. "Why didn't we think of snow?" I was rather disappointed with myself. I thought I had planned this perfectly, but apparently not. "We're going to leave footprints," I added.

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry whispered next to me.

I shook my head. "No, it's not. We'll just have to get rid of them. If you walk in front, I'll do it as we move along."

Harry groaned. "Let's just take off the cloak."

I shot him a look of disbelief. "The cloak is for our safety! We need it, Harry."

"There's no one around," he said, looking about. "Besides, we don't even look like us anymore."

I chewed on my bottom lip. It wasn't a good idea. We had gone through all the planning for a reason, and I just couldn't see the point of throwing it all away.

"We'll be fine, Hermione, okay?" Harry said, giving my hand a tight squeeze.

"Fine," I whispered, ignoring the feeling of dread knotting in my stomach.

Harry pulled the cloak off, storing it under his jacket. Holding hands, we made our way forward.

I shivered due to the cold. The icy wind was blowing in our faces as we passed houses. Glancing at Harry, I saw his face was bright red and assumed mine looked the same. Silently, I cast a warming charm on us.

"Good thinking," he whispered.

"Thanks," I replied.

We continued moving forward, neither of us sure where we were going. I glanced at the houses and wondered if they looked like the home Harry had been brought up in. Would he have grown up here, if things had been different? Would he have invited me and Ron over to stay? Would he have played here as a child? Thoughts began to swirl around in my mind.

And Bathilda Bagshot, where did she live? I frowned when I realized we didn't even have a clue. Again, I scolded myself. I had thought I had planned this thoroughly, but it seemed I was clearly unprepared.

Looking around, I realized we had reached the centre of Godric's Hollow. There was what looked like an old war memorial in the middle, partly obscured by a windblown Christmas tree. I wondered what the memorial was for.

There were also several shops; a post office, pub, and a little church whose stained-glass windows were glowing brightly across the square. It was a cute little village and immediately I had realized why James and Lily had wanted to live here. It was quaint, and it seemed like it would be the perfect place to raise a little boy.

My heart tightened at the thought, tears threatening to spill over. But I quickly took a deep breath to calm my racing thoughts. I didn't want to start crying in front of Harry.

I glanced at him and saw emotion was written all over his face. I could only imagine how painful it was to be here, at the place where his family had been torn apart. I squeezed his hand in an effort to comfort him.

Walking past the little church, I listened as Christmas carols were being sung. My eyes widened. "Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve!"

"Is it?" he replied, seeming a bit distant.

I was sure he was just being choked by the emotion. "I'm sure it is," I said, my eyes not leaving the church. We drifted towards the back of the church, a small gasp escaping my lips. "They… they'll be in there, won't they? Your mum and dad? I can see the graveyard behind it."

Harry froze. Glancing at him, I saw his eyes fill with sadness.

"Come on," I whispered softly, giving his hand a small tug. Taking the lead, I pulled him forward. However, halfway across the square, I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Harry, look!" I cried, pointing towards the memorial. Instead of a stone with inscriptions, there was now a statue of three people: a man with untidy hair and glasses, a woman with long hair and a pretty face, and a baby boy sitting in his mother's arms. Snow covered parts of the statues.

"Oh, Harry," I whispered in awe.

It seemed the statue had been concealed by magic so the Muggles wouldn't notice it. It was so sweet, really, that there was a statue. I had never heard of such a thing existing, and was surprised to see it. But I was happily surprised of course. It was a nice gesture.

Glancing at Harry, I saw him slowly approach the statue, gazing up at his parents. A look of longing appeared on his face.

I was quiet, allowing him to have this moment. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before turning towards me. "Come on," he whispered sadly.

Taking his hand once more, we made our way towards the graveyard. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the statue had transformed back into the war memorial.

The singing from the church got louder. Without realizing it, I started to hum along. Christmas was always one of my favourite times of the year. People were always so happy, the food was warm and delicious, and it reminded me of Hogwarts. Somehow I imagined Christmas wouldn't be celebrated at Hogwarts this year.

We approached the gate to the graveyard. It gave off a spooky feel, but I ignored it, pushing the gate open as quietly as possible. We moved together slowly, careful not to slip on the icy snow.

"Are you okay?" I whispered.

He nodded, not speaking. I imagined it'd be hard for him to find the words.

Looking around, I noticed there was row upon row of snowy tombstones. Harry let go of my hand, moving forward.

A sickening sensation filled my stomach. Slipping my hand into my pocket, I firmly grasped my wand.

"Look at this, it's an Abbott, could be some long-lost relation of Hannah's!" he said, rather loudly at that.

"Keep your voice down," I immediately begged him. Something didn't feel right.

Harry slipped away, walking among the tombstones. I walked slowly, taking in the names as I moved. I stopped when I saw one I recognized. Dumbledore.

I had completely forgotten that the Dumbledore's lived in Godric's Hollow. Skeeter had written about it in her awful book but I hadn't really taken it to heart. I could never trust a word that woman said anyway.

Kendra Dumbledore, with the year she was born and when she had died, along with that of her daughter Ariana.

Ariana? I never knew Professor Dumbledore had a sister. Glancing at the grave made me realize there were a lot of things I didn't know about the late Headmaster. I wondered if Harry knew.

Below, written in an elegant script, were the words: _Where your treasure is, there __your__ heart __will __be also._

The words were moving, threatening once more to make me cry. I swallowed the dry lump in my throat.

"Harry, come here," I whispered, wanting to show him the grave.

He trudged towards me. "Is it…?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "But look," I said, pointing at the gravestone.

His expression immediately became unreadable. I watched him carefully, wondering what he was thinking, but Harry was careful not to let it show.

And then I realized Harry looked surprised. And also a bit hurt. Maybe Professor Dumbledore had never told him about his family?

"Are you sure-?" I began, but he cut me off.

"No, let's just keep looking," he said, his voice sharp.

I shied away from him, nodding. I continued through the graveyard, reading the names. "Oh Harry!" I cried a few minutes later. Reaching down, I rubbed the rest of the snow off the name. "Sorry, I thought it said Potter."

Harry ignored me, walking along the other path. It seemed he was mad at me, but he really had no reason to be. But I guess if I was him, I'd be feeling the same way as well.

Glancing down at the stone I had cleared, I frowned. "Harry, come here for a minute."

I heard him groan, but he reappeared by my side. "What?" he asked rather rudely.

"Look at this," I said, showing him the symbol beneath the name. He didn't say anything. "That's the mark in the book!" I explained excitedly.

"Yeah… it could be…" he murmured.

Pulling out my wand, I whispered, "_Lumos_." I pointed the light at the name on the headstone. "It says Ig- Ignotus, I think…"

_What a funny name,_ I thought.

"I'm going to keep looking for my parents, all right?" he said, snapping at me.

I ignored him, squatting down to look at the old grave. "Peverell," I whispered. The name sounded familiar, but I really couldn't recall what it was from. I mentally stored the information for later use.

I moved along the path, looking for the Potters once more. And within a few minutes I found them. "Harry, they're here… right here."

He quickly made his way towards me, his expression full of emotion once more.

The headstone was made of marble, containing both James' and Lily's names along with their births and deaths. A quotation was written beneath it.

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," Harry read quietly. "Isn't that a Death Eater idea? Why is that there?" he asked, his voice taking on a hint of panic.

I moved a bit closer to him, gently touching his shoulder. "It doesn't mean defeating death in the way the Death Eaters mean it, Harry. It means… you know… living beyond death. Living after death."

He was quiet, staring at the headstone.

I took a step back, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. This was Harry's moment, and I didn't want to ruin it by crying on him. Once I was a few steps away, I allowed the tears to fall down my cold cheeks.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Harry had lost his parents before he even knew them. It wasn't fair that Harry was forced to live with his aunt and uncle, two people that treated him terribly. Life wasn't fair to Harry… it never had been. And my heart hurt for him.

I pressed my lips together tightly, willing the cries of anguish not to come out. It was all I could do to prevent myself from losing it completely.

_He's okay_, I thought, hoping my thoughts would carry to James and Lily. _He's okay, and I'm taking perfectly good care of him_.

I wanted to give his parents some sort of comfort. As far as they knew, their son had died with them. They didn't know his fascinating tale.

Sensing it was time; I moved forward a bit and grasped Harry's hand. He didn't move, but simply stared at the grave. I could see the tears pouring down his face.

He squeezed my hand, letting me know that he was okay… that he'd be okay.

Thinking of something, I raised my wand and produced a wreath of Christmas roses. I moved forward, gently laying it on their grave. The roses blossomed, despite the cold weather. It was perfect.

Harry took a step back before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I snaked my arms around his waist, the two of us now close.

Turning, we walked away.


	8. Chapter 8

/N: Thanks for all the love and support guys! I appreciate it all so much! Thanks to MrsBates93 for being an awesome beta as well! Enjoy! Xx

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Chapter 8

I cringed, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Once more, my stomach was doing flips, only this time, the feeling intensified.

Slowly, I looked around. Maybe there was…

Shit.

"Harry, stop," I whispered.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning to face me.

"There's someone there, over by the bushes."

Harry and I glanced over there once more. But this time, no one was there… I had definitely seen someone! I know I did. And the sick feeling I had still hadn't gone away.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked sceptically.

"Of course I'm sure," I snapped at him. "Something was moving over there, I just know it." I tried to grab my wand, but Harry's hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"Let go," I whispered at him. Why couldn't he see we were in trouble?

"We look like Muggles, Hermione," he said, trying to calm me.

"Muggles who've just laid flowers on your parents' grave! And if that isn't suspicious then I don't know what is," I argued back.

"There's nothing there," he said to me, more firmly this time.

"And I'm sure there is," I replied.

Suddenly, we heard a rustle. I grabbed his arm tightly, fear coursing through me.

"I'm sure it's just a cat or a bird," Harry said after a few minutes.

I gave him a look. Really? Did he really think that? Because I certainly didn't.

"If it was a Death Eater, Hermione, we'd already be dead. So come on and let's get out of here. We need to put the Cloak back on."

I pursed my lips, not saying anything. Together we swiftly exited the graveyard. Once I closed the gate behind us, Harry covered us with the Invisibility Cloak. I felt somewhat safer this way.

Once again we were standing in the middle of the small village. Looking around, I wasn't sure where to go.

The door to the pub swung open, light and music spilling out into the darkness.

I frowned, wishing we could go inside to warm up. Maybe actually take a shower, have a decent meal…

_Focus Hermione_, I scolded myself. We were on a mission. Taking Harry's hand, I led him down one of the side streets, away from the centre of the village.

"How are we going to find Bathilda's house?" I asked, shivering in the cold. It didn't say in any of the textbooks where she actually lived, just that she resided in Godric's Hollow. "Harry? What do you think? Harry?" I glanced over my shoulder, confused as to why he wasn't answering.

His gaze was fixed on something ahead of us. Turning, I glanced forward. At the end of the row of houses was a ruined house, Harry's home.

He started walking faster, pulling me with him.

I stumbled a little, trying to keep up with his long strides. "Harry-"

"Look at it, Hermione," he whispered, his voice full of emotion.

The grass and hedge were overgrown, making the area seem wild. Rubble was scattered about the yard. The cottage itself was seemingly okay, although it was covered with ivy and snow. Except for the right side of the house, which was blown apart. That must have been where Harry's bedroom was.

I stared at it, moving towards the gate. "I wonder why nobody's ever rebuilt it?" I whispered.

"Maybe you can't," Harry suggested. "Maybe the Dark Magic ruined the house and now it can't be repaired."

"Maybe…" I whispered, but that didn't seem right. My guess was that people just wanted to leave it the way it was… as a monument. I mean, it was a place of huge historical context, so that might just be why.

I watched as Harry's hand slipped under the Cloak and rested on the snowy gate.

I arched my eyebrows. "You're not going to go inside, are you? It looks unsafe… oh, Harry, look!"

Touching the gate must have activated a spell, much like the monument in the centre of the village did. A small sign grew up from the dirt magically.

"On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard ever to have survived the Killing Curse. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family," I read softly.

So I was right. It was left as a monument, a little piece of history for everyone to see.

I frowned though when I saw people had written all over the sign. Some had signed their initials while others wrote messages. Most of them were wishing Harry luck. "They shouldn't have written on the sign," I muttered.

"But I'm glad they did, because it's bloody brilliant." Harry had a smile on his face and I couldn't help but smile back.

Suddenly, I felt my stomach churn. Turning, I saw a muffled figure wobbling up the lane towards us. If I had to guess, I would say it's a woman.

But she had seen us. She definitely knew we were there. I could tell by the way she walked.

Clutching Harry's hand tightly, I whimpered.

He squeezed my hand back.

The figure stopped a few yards away, facing us.

The woman's eyes flickered towards the house. A house that was invisible to Muggles. This person was definitely a witch. And despite the fact that we were wearing the Invisibility Cloak, she knew where we were.

It was a frightening thought.

Slowly, she raised a gloved hand and beckoned.

"How can she see us?" I whispered, feeling as if I might throw up.

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure."

We were both quiet for a moment, neither of us moving. What were we supposed to do?

"Are you Bathilda?" Harry called out, startling me.

The hunched over figure nodded, beckoning us again.

Harry turned to face me, and I gave a short nod. If this was Bathilda, then we needed to follow her. We needed to know if she had the sword.

"Let's go," I whispered.

Harry took a step forward and almost immediately Bathilda turned and hobbled back the way she had come.

Still holding his hand, I followed Harry down the road, passing a few houses. After a while, we stopped at a gate. Looking around, I frowned. The lawn and edges at this house were over grown as well. Bathilda put the key into the door and pushed it open. Stepping aside, she allowed us to enter.

But as I did, our eyes locked. At once, all the sick feelings came back. This wasn't right… something wasn't right. Stepping into the house, I tried not to vomit. Honestly, I couldn't remember the last time I had smelt something so bad.

She stared at Harry for a moment before disappearing into another room. Harry pulled the Cloak off us and made to follow her, but I grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Harry, I'm not sure about this," I whispered. I was getting the chills… something seriously wasn't right.

"Look at the size of her; I think we could overpower her if we had to," Harry said. He gave me a reassuring smile before going into the next room.

Sighing, I followed him. Walking into the room, I saw Bathilda was standing there, looking as if she might collapse at any minute. Narrowing my eyes, I noticed she didn't look good at all.

And neither did the house. There was dust and dirt everywhere, dust covering almost all the furniture. And that smell, ugh, I shuddered.

"Miss Bagshot, who is this?" Harry asked, breaking me from my thoughts. He was pointing at a picture of a blonde boy.

The woman just stood there, not saying anything. Maybe Aunt Muriel was right, maybe Bathilda wasn't all there anymore.

Harry repeated the question but she still didn't answer.

I could tell Harry was getting frustrated when he asked the question a third time.

"Why did you ask us to come with you Miss Bagshot?" I asked, raising my voice. "Was there something you wanted to tell us?"

The old hag didn't even look at me. My hand slipped inside my coat, gripping my wand.

Bathilda moved towards Harry, jerking her head before shuffling into the hall.

"I think she wants us to follow her," Harry said, going after her.

I went to follow him but she held her hand up at me, shaking my head.

"She wants me to go alone," Harry said.

I shook my head. "Harry, something isn't right."

"It's okay, Hermione. She knows it's me. Maybe she has the sword."

I bit my lip, but nodded. "Fine, all right. Go, but please be quick."

Harry nodded, following Bathilda out of the room. I watched as he ascended the stairs.

Something wasn't right, and I took this as an opportunity to walk around. Looking around, I found a copy of the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, with a note from Rita attached. Flipping the book over, I looked at the back. There was a picture of Rita, wearing that gaudy green outfit. I cringed.

Putting the book down, I pulled out my wand. "_Lumos_," I whispered, a bright light appearing. Deciding to snoop some more, I moved forward.

As I walked down the hall, the sounds of flies filled my ears. What the hell was that? At the end of the hallway was a door left ajar. I pushed the door open. There…. On the ground was…

I stumbled backwards in horror. Looking upwards, I saw blood splattered all over the ceiling and the wall.

If Bathilda was down here dead, then who was upstairs with Harry?

A loud noise captured my attention.

"Harry!" I cried. Turning I tried to run to the stairs but tripped over some books. Pulling myself upright, I grimaced. That would definitely leave a bruise.

I continued to run, thundering up the stairs.

I heard Harry cry out in pain and the sound of a wall coming down.

I saw Harry stumble by me when I arrived at the top of the stairs. Turning, I shrieked when I saw Nagini coming at me. Pointing my wand, I stupefied it, or attempted to at least. Nagini fell through the floor.

Turning, I saw Harry holding onto his arm in pain. I grimaced. I saw his wand lying right near the edge of the stairs.

Taking a quick breath, my hand darted out and grabbed it. I scooted backwards, waiting for the snake to reappear.

Slowly, we both stood. All of a sudden, Nagini lunged at us again. "_Confringo_!" I screamed, pointing my wand at the serpent.

Harry dove at me, his body slamming into mine. I screamed as I felt the familiar pull of Apparition.

We landed somewhere with a thud, but without thinking, I turned us on the spot, taking us to a new location. When we landed, Harry collapsed.

"Harry!" I cried, bending down to see if he was all right. He began to twitch almost immediately, muttering Voldemort's name.

Was he trapped inside His mind? What was Harry seeing? I shook my head. I needed to set up camp first.

I grabbed the tent, quickly setting it up. I levitated Harry to the bed, dropping him gently onto it. Gripping my wand, I moved outside and began to put up the usual enchantments.

After that small run in with Voldemort, he'd be sure to double his search for us. We couldn't afford to take any chances now.

My thoughts tried to drift but I stopped them. It was like I had a one track mind. After making sure our location was secure, I entered the tent. Harry was squirming on the bed, mumbling under his breath. "Mum… Dad…"

I felt tears fall from my eyes, realizing he must be trapped in the memory where his parents died. I moved forward and that's when I noticed it.

The locket was humming, buried deep in his chest. "Fuck," I whispered.

Moving forward, I grabbed it but immediately let go. Looking down, there were burn marks on my hands. And it was now burning Harry's chest.

_Come on, Hermione, think!_ I needed to get that locket off him and fast. Without thinking I pointed my wand at him. "_Diffindo_!" I cried. I sliced the skin the locket was attached to right off. Grabbing the necklace, I flung it across the room.

Blood began to pour from the wound and I cringed. Immediately I began to bandage it, ignoring the rusty smell… I couldn't afford to get sick right now.

After bandaging Harry's chest, I looked at his arm. Nagini had bit him. Gently, I cleaned the wound. Summoning my bag, I reached inside and dug around for my small bottle of Dittany. Hopefully that would do the trick.

"Aha," I muttered when my hand closed around the bottle. Uncorking the top, I let a few drops fall onto Harry's wound. I didn't bother putting any on his chest because that would heal on its own. Poison though… that was a different story. I could only hope that it hadn't spread too far into his system.

Harry twitched on the bed, muttering "No" repeatedly.

Closing my eyes, I whispered, "_Stupefy_."

Harry went limp on the bed.

I didn't really want to stun him, but he needed to rest. It was what was best. With a sigh, I grabbed a blanket and moved outside. Looking at the necklace, I reached out and tentatively touched it. It was cool now. Picking it up, I put it around my neck, shivering. The thing always gave me the creeps, especially since I knew it had a piece of Voldemort's soul inside.

Walking outside, I knew I needed to deal with the mess in my pocket. Closing my eyes, I pulled out the broken pieces of wood.

Harry's wand had snapped in half when we were leaving Godric's Hollow. As I cast the blasting curse, it had rebounded off the snake; much like our previous curses had rebounded off the locket. The spell bounced around and must have struck the wand before we Disapparated.

Placing the wand on the ground, I frowned. Harry was going to be so mad. I knew I wouldn't be able to fix it. Wand lore was not something I was familiar with. I thought back to Ron's wand in second year; it was unfixable and he had to get a new one. But there was no way we'd be able to get a new one now… we were on the run for Merlin's sake!

A sighed escaped my lips and I knew the inevitable truth. We were screwed. Two people on the run with only one wand, that had bad luck written all over it.

But I had to try, I told myself. Pointing my wand at Harry's, I whispered, "_Reparo_."

The two halves of the wand joined together. Picking it up, I tried to cast a "_Lumos_" spell, and it worked, but barely. "_Bombarda_!" I said, pointing at a tree. Nothing happened to the tree, but the wand snapped itself back in half.

Yeah, Harry would be furious with me.

But it wasn't my fault! I couldn't have known the spell was going to rebound back on us. All I could think of was getting that damned snake away from us.

Sighing, I put my head in my hands. I sat down, leaning up against a tree. Wrapping my blanket around me, I tried to get comfortable. I'd just have to wait for Harry to wake up.

But in the meantime, I did have a new book to read. I had grabbed Bathilda's copy of Rita's _Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_. I hadn't read it yet, because I was sure it was a load of absolute rubbish. But still, there were sure to be some facts in there.

Opening the book, I began to read.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: JKR owns all! Written for the 100k Competition, and a huge thanks to MrsBates93 for betaing this! You rock Sara! Enjoy!

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Chapter 9

I was leaning against the tree reading when I heard the flap of the tent open. Harry walked towards me, but he was still breathing rather heavily. I bit my lip; he should still be in bed resting.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked, turning my head to look at him. He had changed and was now wearing a grey sweater.

He stood there for a moment, simply staring at our surroundings. Slowly, he began to shuffle forward, like a zombie. "You've outdone yourself this time, Hermione."

I blushed. "We're in the Forest of Dean. I came here once with Mum and Dad… years ago. It's just how I remember it: the trees, the river, everything."

I looked around, my thoughts drifting to summers past.

I remember how my father would struggle with pretty much everything and my mother would have to help him. She would do it discretely though, because she didn't want him to feel insecure about his masculinity.

I smiled, remembering the way my parents would banter with one another, over the silliest things.

I missed them. I missed them so much.

Looking at Harry, I saw he was sitting down across from me, warily watching me.

"It's like nothing's changed," I whispered. "Not true, of course, everything's changed. If I brought my parents back now, they probably wouldn't recognize any of it. Not the trees… not the river… not even me." And that was true, because I had erased their memories.

Harry's gaze left mine, looking away.

"If we could just stay here, Harry, and grow old…" I whispered, trailing off. As much as I wanted to, I knew that wouldn't happen. There was too much at stake, and I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if we ever left. But then again, the selfish part of me wanted to take Harry and run… I wanted a life with him, but I didn't even know if either of us would survive the War.

I switched topics, sensing that Harry was just as conflicted as I was. "Are you feeling better though, honestly, Harry?"

He nodded. "I feel fine, now."

I bit my lip. "You were really ill… To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd be able to save you."

Harry gave me an unreadable look.

"You had a fever; the bloody snake had bitten you, Harry! And I had to use a slicing hex to get the locket off your chest, so there will be a small scar there, but hopefully it'll fade. And well, you've been mumbling in your sleep… screaming actually."

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his green eyes meeting mine.

I gave him a reassuring smile. "It's all right. I was just worried that you weren't going to get enough rest, so I, err, stunned you," I finished telling him, feeling rather embarrassed of my actions.

Harry laughed at that. "Yes, well, you did a good job then." He was quiet, a lost look on his face. He looked at me, tears in his eyes. "We shouldn't have gone to Godric's Hollow, Hermione. All this… it's my fault… and I'm so sorry."

"Harry, we made it out alive and that's all that matters," I said, reassuring him with a smile. "Besides, I wanted to go there too. I was sure that's where Dumbledore had left the sword."

"Well, we got that wrong."

I giggled. "Yes, we did. But Harry, what actually happened when she took you upstairs? Was Nagini just hiding somewhere?"

He shook his head. "No, she was the snake. Or maybe the snake was her… I'm really not sure."

"What?" I asked, feeling the horror creep up on my face. I knew dark magic was at work because of what I had seen in the closet, but still, it was creepy.

"The snake was inside her. You-Know-Who put it there in Godric's Hollow, to wait. You were right, Hermione, he knew I'd go back."

"The snake was inside her?" For some reason, that idea was hitting me harder than I would have thought. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"She only spoke Parseltongue, which is why she wouldn't speak in front of you… she didn't want you to figure it out. Once we were upstairs, she contacted Him… I could feel how excited he was…" Harry motioned to his scar.

I looked at him sympathetically.

Harry became quiet, and I knew that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. It was a near-death experience, and we were both frightened. I suppressed a shudder.

"You wanted to know who the boy in the photograph was… I know. It's Gellert Grindelwald," I said, handing him Rita Skeeter's book.

He took it, looking at it with disgust. Harry flipped through the pages for a moment before saying, "He's the thief I saw in Gregorivich's Wand Shop." He was quiet for a second. "Speaking of which, where's my wand?"

I frowned, desperately wishing I didn't have to be the one to tell him.

He must have read the look on my face as well, because he was more aggressive this time. "Where's my wand, Hermione?"

I frowned, trying not to cry. Moving forward, I turned around and lifted the blanket, revealing the broken pieces of Harry's wand. "As we were leaving Godric's Hollow, I cast a curse and it rebounded." I gulped; wishing the lump in my throat would disappear. "I'm sorry, Harry, I tried to fix it but wands are different."

"That's it, it's done," he said, standing up. "Give me yours."

Without protesting, I handed over my vine wand. He was so mad at me, I could tell. "Harry, I-"

"Go inside and get warm," he said, cutting me off. "I'll take the locket as well."

I pulled the chain off, handing it to him.

He took it without saying a word.

Biting my lip, I stood and entered the tent, throwing myself onto my bed. Almost immediately I began to sob.

It wasn't fair! None of this was fair!

It wasn't fair that Harry was mad at me for the wand. I couldn't have realized the spell was going to rebound and hit his wand. I'm not a freaking psychic!

And if anything, it's Harry's fault. I told him I didn't trust Bagshot, I told him. It was a bad idea, and the funny feeling in my stomach attested to that… but Harry wouldn't listen. He never listens, always doing what he wants.

And look where that got us. He was almost killed! And then Voldemort almost caught us! It would have been all over before we even really got a chance to begin.

My head hurt and I felt a migraine coming on. Great, just bloody great, exactly what I needed right now, a pounding headache.

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten. Inhaling deeply, I tried to calm myself.

I could hear Harry flipping the pages of the book, grumbling stuff under his breath.

No doubt he was probably disgusted by what was in there. I know I was.

But the worst part was I didn't know what was true and what wasn't. Did Dumbledore really kill his little sister? Did Harry even know about Dumbledore's family?

I knew Rita was the type of witch to make anything up for her few seconds of fame… look at what she did to me and Harry during our fourth year! Making me out to be some sort of scarlet woman. I sniffed, knowing that I had more dignity than that.

* * *

After calming down a bit, I made some tea to take out to Harry. He was probably getting cold by now. Holding the two cups, I slowly went outside.

"Harry?" I whispered, surprised by how shaky my voice sounded. "I brought you some tea."

He took the cup, motioning for me to sit next to him. The book lay on the floor near his feet.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier… I know it isn't your fault," he said, turning to face me.

I looked at him and sniffed. Damn it, why was I crying?!

"Hermione, please don't cry. I'm sorry!" Harry said, immediately wrapping his arms around me. "I love you; you know that, don't you? I know I'm the world's biggest idiot, but please don't ever doubt how much you mean to me." He pressed kisses to the top of my head as I clung to the front of his shirt. "We'll be okay," he whispered, squeezing me tightly.

I looked up at him, and saw that his green eyes were full of tears too. "Don't cry, Harry," I said, smiling a little. Reaching down, he wiped the tears from my face.

"I'm sorry; I'm just so bloody emotional right now. We almost died, and then I blamed you for my wand, which I know wasn't your fault… I was just so mad… so angry…" he trailed off.

I grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. "Well, I'm sure You-Know-Who is mad as well, and I'd be willing to bet that some of his anger seeps into you through your connection."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, actually, that makes a lot of sense. But it doesn't excuse my actions, and for that I'm sorry."

"All is forgiven," I said, leaning forward to give him a kiss.

His lips met mine. Although the kiss was brief, it was still enough to reassure me of his love and hope. Hope that we might have a future together someday.

We broke apart, smiling at each other. Reaching down, I grabbed my cup of tea and took a sip. Harry did the same.

"So…" I started, glancing at the book on the ground.

Harry's face became hard.

"Harry, don't be angry. I'm sure-"

"No, Hermione, you're not sure of anything."

I rolled my eyes. "Harry, this is Rita Skeeter's writing… I don't think there's much truth to it."

"Did you see the letter to Grindelwald?" He asked, his green eyes were piercing.

Frowning, I nodded. "Harry, I know it looks bad… but I don't think it's true. There has to be more to the story. Dumbledore wouldn't have been allied with Grindelwald… I mean, he was the one to defeat him!"

"Stop defending him, Hermione!" Harry shouted. "He was twisted... sick… trying to rise to power over Muggles, just like Tom! He was no better!" Harry stood and began to pace.

"Harry, he was young, and all alone… his mother had just died, I'm sure he felt lost."

"Lost? Alone? He still had a family, Hermione; he locked up his little sister!"

I threw my hands up. "Harry, I don't believe it. There was no way Ariana was a Squib. The Dumbledore we knew would have never locked her up like that."

"The Dumbledore we knew didn't want to conquer Muggles by force!" Harry shouted.

I cringed. "He changed, Harry, people change. Think about it… Dumbledore spent his life trying to thwart You-Know-Who, running the Order, fighting for those people! Whoever this person in the book is, isn't who we know." I glared at him. Why was his temper so out of control lately? Five minutes ago he was apologizing for yelling at me, and once again he's shouting again.

Harry's hands formed into fists.

"Harry, I'm sorry, but I think the real reason you're so angry is that Dumbledore never told you any of this himself." There, I said what we were both thinking. No doubt, he'd become even madder, but it's true. Harry was just hurt that Dumbledore had kept so many secrets from him.

"Maybe I am!" he shouted at me. "Look at what's he's asked of me, Hermione. There was always something I had to do, but he never told me the truth. He never told me the whole truth…" his voice cracked.

"He loved you, Harry," I whispered. "I know he loved you."

Harry dropped his arms, turning away from me. "I don't know who he loved, Hermione, but it wasn't me. This isn't love, the mess he's left me in. He shared a damn sight more of what he was really thinking with Gellert Grindelwald than he ever shared with me."

I stared at him, immediately feeling bad. It wasn't fair that Dumbledore left all of this for Harry without even really explaining it. Harry had every right to be mad… he thought Dumbledore loved him, but this… to have your idol completely torn apart in front of your eyes was tough.

"Harry," I whispered, taking a step towards him. I wanted to hug him, pull him in my arms and tell him everything would be all right.

"Thanks for the tea. I'll finish the watch. You get back in the tent where its warm."

I frowned, recognizing his dismissal. Bending over, I picked up the book and tucked it in my arms.

Walking towards him, I brushed the top of his head lightly with my hand. "Love you," I whispered before turning into the tent.

He needed some time to process things. In the meantime, I thought I'd read _A History of Magic_. Reading never failed to calm me down.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks for all the love and support guys! I appreciate it all so much! Thanks to MrsBates93 for being an awesome beta as well! Warning: Lemons ahead! Enjoy! Xx

* * *

Chapter 10

It was just about midnight when Harry came into the tent.

"You must be freezing," I said, immediately wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. "I've just put some tea on so it should be ready in a minute."

I leant forward, brushing my lips against his cheek. Immediately, I jolted back. "Harry, you're absolutely freezing! Why didn't you come in earlier?"

He shrugged. "I just needed some time."

"Yes, well, you'll catch your death with all this 'time' outside," I scolded him, my inner mother coming out.

He didn't say anything.

"Harry," I said with a sigh, "I'm just looking out for you. You know that, don't you?"

He nodded.

"Good, now have that cup of warm tea and crawl into bed. I'm going to go outside for the watch."

"Thanks, Hermione," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. Silently, he handed me my wand.

"Sleep tight," I whispered before disappearing outside.

Sweet Merlin it was cold out! I sat down, immediately conjuring my small jar of blue flames. Holding it close to my body, I sat in the silence.

* * *

A couple times during the night, I heard a crack or a creak. I kept looking, for someone, anyone, but no one was there. It was making me nervous. What if someone found us?

We'd be taken to Voldemort, and then he would kill Harry and me.

We couldn't let that happen… I wouldn't. Harry would be safe; I'd make sure of it.

A snap of a branch caught my attention. Standing, I silently made my way towards the edge of the wards. Looking around, I kept my eyes sharp.

A swish of robes appeared to my left.

It happened so fast, I couldn't even be sure it was real.

But it was real. There was someone out there.

After listening for a moment, I deduced that the person was gone. I let out the breath I had been holding in. Turning, I made my way back to the tent.

I wish it wasn't snowing. I loved snow, but not when I was out in the woods like this. Not when I had to wade my way through it. Now it was just an inconvenience.

Sitting back down near the flap of the tent, I frowned when I heard Harry moaning in his sleep. I wished I had brought some Dreamless Sleep potions with us. It seemed that Harry really needed it.

Pulling out my _A History of Magic _book, I decided to read a bit more.

* * *

Harry shuffled towards me sleepily. "It's so cold," he muttered.

"Yeah, it is," I said, looking at all the snow falling around us.

"Why don't we pack up early and move on?" Harry suggested.

I nodded, feeling a bit relieved. Somewhere a bit warmer sounded nice. "We'll go somewhere more sheltered," I said, fighting a shiver as I pulled another sweatshirt on over my pajamas. "I kept thinking I could hear people moving outside. I even thought I saw somebody once or twice."

Harry nodded. "Why don't you sleep a bit, Hermione? We can pack up and leave in the morning."

I stood, my teeth almost chattering.

"Get some rest," he said, pulling me into his arms. "I know you haven't been sleeping because you're worried, but don't. I've got this, okay?" he said, grinning at me.

I buried myself in his embrace, holding him tightly. "I love you," I muttered against the rough fabric of his shirt.

"I love you too, Hermione. I promise that once this is all over, we'll be a proper couple."

I looked up, meeting his green eyes. He looked sad. "Promise me?" I said, a hint of authority in my voice.

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me you'll live through this, Harry." I buried my face in his chest once more, trying to fight back the tears. "You have to promise, Harry, promise me," I begged. I didn't want him to not make it through this… he had too!

"Hey, don't cry," he whispered, tilting my hand up so I could meet his gaze. "I promise, Hermione," he said, his eyes burning with resolve.

"Harry," I whispered, before leaning up and brushing my lips against his. At once, the kiss deepened. I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling him a bit closer.

His hands tightly gripped my waist, kissing me as if it was the last moment we would ever have together.

Eventually we broke apart, each panting and wanting more.

"Please, Harry," I whispered, taking his hand and giving it a gentle tug.

"You should really get some rest," he said, looking at me with concern.

"Just a quickie, Harry, please," I begged. After almost losing him so suddenly and all this fighting, I needed him. I needed to feel him inside me. I just needed the reassurance of his love.

"Okay," he said, kissing me.

We made our way to the bed, collapsing on it. Immediately we tore at each other's clothes, wanting to feel each other.

"Skin," I murmured, pressing kisses along his jaw. "I want to feel your skin," I whispered. I pulled at his shirt, giggling when I pulled a bit too hard, sending a button flying across the tent. "Sorry."

He laughed. "We can deal with it later, right now, I need to feel you."

"Oh, bugger this," I whispered, bored of the fumbling. Grabbing my wand, I quickly vanished our clothes. They reappeared in a neat heap on the floor.

Immediately Harry's mouth closed around my nipple, his hand reaching up to touch the other one.

"Ahhh," I moaned at the contact, pushing my chest up towards him. I wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers playing with the hairs on the nape of his neck.

He continued his ministrations, sucking and licking at my tender breasts, causing me to squirm in pleasure. "Oh, Harry," I whispered.

I could feel the heat pool beneath my legs and knew I was ready for him. "Harry, please! Don't make me wait any longer," I begged.

He removed his mouth from my breast, looking up at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I said, rolling my eyes. Taking his hand, I guided it down beneath my legs. "See, I'm more than ready."

He smirked at me, before positioning himself at my entrance. He slowly slid in, allowing my body to stretch around him.

"Harry," I moaned at the sensation, my eyes closing. He filled me so completely, every move he made sent shivers up my spine.

He began to move slowly, in and out, as if he was teasing me. I sent him a glare. "Come on, Harry, I need you."

"You have me," he whispered, brushing his lips against mine.

"No, harder," I commanded, bucking my hips up against his.

"Ah!" he cried out at the sensation.

"Be rough with me, Harry, take me!" I cried out, not knowing when I had become so vocal with my wants.

Harry quickly obliged, pulling out almost completely before slamming back into me.

"Yes! That's it," I said, as he repeated the motion. "Again, harder."

It felt so good, every thrust sending me into heaven.

"Oh, you like that, don't you?" he said, his voice taking on a husky tone.

"Yes, sweet Merlin, Harry, yes!" I said, my breath coming in pants.

I moved my body lower, arching my back a bit so my arse was now off the bed. Harry was now hitting me in a whole new way.

"Hermione, I'm not going to last much longer," Harry panted, continuing his thrusting.

"Harry, oh Harry!" I cried, my nails digging into his sides.

"Fuck!" he cried, spilling his seed inside me.

He continued his movements, collapsing on top of me moments later. "Oh Hermione, I'm sorry you didn't get to go."

"It's fine, I got you and that's all that really matters," I said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

He shook his head. "It's not all right."

Before I could protest, I felt his mouth on my centre.

A moan escaped my lips as I tangled my fingers in his messy black hair.

He gently slipped two fingers inside me, moving them around in a circular motion. That, combined with his tongue flicking at my nub, was enough to send me into overdrive. Moments later, I felt my body shudder, my walls contracting around his fingers.

"Harry!" I cried, my eyes rolling back in pleasure.

He continued his motions, even after I had finished coming. "Harry," I whispered. He didn't move, continuing to suck on my clit. "Harry, I can't take anymore," I cried, pulling his head away.

He ignored me, licking with fervour I didn't know he possessed. I came again seconds later.

Finally, he pulled away, looking up at me.

"Harry, that was _fucking_ amazing," I whispered, grinning at him.

He crawled upwards, planting a kiss on the top of my head. "You're amazing… you taste so bloody good."

I felt my face grow hot.

Harry laughed. "Don't be shy, Hermione, you weren't shy earlier."

I blushed. "I don't really know where that came from," I admitted.

He sat up, grabbing his clothes. "Well, I liked it, and I hope to see the naughty side of Hermione again."

"Mmmmm," I cocked my head to the side, pretending to think about it. "I think that could be arranged."

"Well, now that you're fully sated, witch, I'm going to go keep watch, and you are going to get some sleep." He tugged a sweater on over his head.

"I can't sleep after that," I said, feeling completely energized after our session of lovemaking.

"Well, you need to sleep. I could always stun you, you know," he said, a mischievous smile on his face.

I pouted, knowing he was teasing me. "It was for your own good," I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Yes well, get dressed, because you're going to get cold, fast."

I nodded, sitting up. I quickly dressed, knowing that Harry was right. The cold was already seeping into my bones. Once I finished dressing, I crawled back into Harry's bed.

"I love you," he said, leaning forward to give me a goodnight kiss.

"I love you too, Harry," I said, smiling at him.

"Now get some rest," he murmured, smiling at me. Grabbing the wand, he held it as he went outside.

I pulled the covers up over my head. I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. But of course, I couldn't. I wish it wasn't so cold.

I wished I was on a nice warm beach, maybe somewhere in the Caribbean. I heard there are really nice beaches down there.

Maybe me and Harry could go there after the war. Maybe we could spend some time, lying on the beach in the nice, warm sun.

Oh, that sounded absolutely wonderful.

* * *

"Hermione…"

Why was Harry saying my name? Maybe he wanted to go for a swim in the ocean? It was clear blue and I bet it was nice and warm.

"Hermione?"

Maybe if I keep sleeping I'll be able to ignore him. I wanted more sleep… I needed more sleep.

"Hermione!" Harry's voice practically shouted, shaking my shoulders.

"Hmmm?" I said sleepily, bolting upright. Reaching up, I pushed my hair out of my eyes. "Harry, what is it? What's wrong?"

His eyes were wide, filed with emotion.

"Are you all right?" I asked, concerned.

"It's okay, Hermione, everything's fine. More than fine, actually. Erm, someone's here."

I scrunched my eyes up. "Someone's here? What do you mean? Harry?" I asked, my heart starting to beat frantically in my chest.

He stepped aside, and a red headed figure moved forward. A figure that was dripping wet, shakily holding the sword of Gryffindor.

Ron was back.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: JKR owns all! Written from the 100k Multichapter Comp! A huge thanks to MrsBates93 for betaing!

* * *

Chapter 11

I felt my emotions slam into me**,** causing me to shake my head in disbelief. Everything just felt so overwhelming, and I didn't even know what to think.

Ron was back.

I didn't know how I should feel at this moment. Happy that my best friend had finally returned to us? Angry because he had still left us in the first place and he had the audacity to stand there and smile at me? Worried? What would this mean for me and Harry? Were we ready for everyone to know we were together?

The Weasley's were famously known for their tempers and I was afraid I'd soon be on the receiving end of things. I could only hope it wouldn't be too bad.

But Ron was back.

He was standing right in front of me, shivering slightly. They both were shivering actually.

"What were you doing?" I asked, holding my hand out for my wand.

Harry reached over, placing it in my hand. His eyes met mine and he gave a quick nod, reassuring me somehow.

Flicking my wand, I silently cast a nonverbal warming charm to dry them both off.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said, smiling.

Ron grinned too. "I didn't know you could do nonverbal spells."

"Yes, well, I've been practicing."

Ron nodded, still smiling. He seemed too oblivious to the fact that I was furious.

I was furious that he had left us. Ron had left us when we had needed him most. Coming back wouldn't just fix things, I hope he realized that.

The three of us stood there awkwardly.

But as much as I wanted to stay mad at him, I couldn't crush down the feeling of happiness that he was okay. For the longest time I had worried that he was dead or worse.

He grinned at me, whispering my name. And for some reason, that caused me to snap.

I lunged at him, punching every inch of him I could get hold of.

"I can't believe you left! You're a complete arse, Ron!" I shouted, all my emotions pouring out.

"I'm sorry I left, Hermione, you know I regret it," Ron said, taking a few steps back.

"That doesn't matter! Because you still left! You left us, Ron, and we had no idea whether you were dead or alive."

"But Hermione, Ron just-"

"I don't care what he just did," I snapped at Harry, sending him a glare. "Weeks and weeks have gone by… we could have been dead for all he knew!"

"I knew you weren't dead!" Ron shouted at me, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Harry's all over the _Prophet, _and the radio. If you were dead, the whole world would have known. Hermione, you don't know what it's been like-"

I drowned out the rest of his words. Did he really just say that? Did he really just say that I didn't know what it's been like for him? I resisted the urge to cross the room and beat him again.

"What it's been like for you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Yes! Hermione, I was captured by Snatchers, and I barely escaped! You don't know how hard it was, knowing I was caught when I should have been helping you two," Ron said, his eyes begging me to forgive him. "And I splinched myself! Look, I lost some fingernails." He held up his hand to show me.

"Well, that's a rather interesting story," I said, glaring at him. "You must have been so terrified. Let's see, while you were gone, we went to Godric's Hollow, and hmmm, Harry, do you remember what happened there?"

Harry looked at the floor, his face turning red.

"Oh yes," I continued my rant. "You-Know-Who's snake turned up, it nearly killed us both, and then You-Know-Who himself arrived and missed us by mere seconds."

Ron looked at Harry. "Is this true?"

"Yeah, mate, it is," Harry grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Imagine losing fingernails, Harry! That really puts our sufferings into perspective, doesn't it?"

"Ron just saved my life," Harry injected, interrupting my rant.

I looked at him. He looked guilty. My anger subdued a bit though, knowing that I felt the same way. I felt terrible that I was hurting Ron now, but I would hurt him even more in a few moments.

"How did you find us, Ron?" I asked, turning back to face him.

"The Deluminator," he said, pulling the silver object from his jeans. "I heard your voice, and Harry's, and well after clicking it, a small light appeared outside the window. Grabbing my things, I followed the light outside towards the garden. Once outside, it well, went inside me."

I covered my mouth to prevent the snort from escaping. That sounded absolutely ridiculous!

"Sorry?" Harry asked, looking just as confused as I felt.

"It floated towards me, and I just knew that it would take me wherever I needed to go. I just knew it. So I Disapparated and came out here, in the woods. I looked around, waiting for one of you. I knew the light had brought me there for a reason and I just had to hope I'd find you. And well, I found Harry. But I saw the doe first."

"You saw the what?" I asked sharply, still rather confused.

"After I came outside, Hermione, I heard something. So I went to investigate and I saw a silver doe."

"A silver doe?" I asked.

Harry nodded. "I had a feeling that I was supposed to follow it, so I did. And yes, Hermione, I probably should have woken you, but I just… I just followed it. And it led me down to the stream, right where the water pooled in an area. The doe disappeared, even though I called after it. Looking down, that's when I saw it: the sword of Gryffindor was lying at the bottom of the pool."

I listened with rapt attention, knowing that this was important.

"I tried to summon it, but it wouldn't move. So I made a hole in the ice, took off my clothes-"

I felt my cheeks grow hot at the mention of Harry being naked. Luckily, neither of the boys noticed.

"And I dived in. It was so cold… I thought I was going to freeze my bollocks off!" Harry said, scratching the back of his neck. "So I swam down towards the sword, but the moment I reached out to grab it, I felt something choke me."

"What?" I asked, my voice sounding higher than usual.

"The necklace. I had left the Horcrux on, and I think it knew. Immediately it began to tug at me, choking me. I tried to fight it… but I couldn't." Harry took a deep breath. "_I thought I was going to die_," he whispered.

"Harry," I said, tears pouring down my face. Once more, I had come so close to losing my best friend, the only man in the world who knew me inside and out.

"What happened next?" I asked.

"I felt myself losing conscious. Everything became blurry, then finally it all went black. When my eyes opened, I was being dragged backwards, across the ice. Someone placed me on the solid ground, walking a few steps away. I could hear them," he added after a moment. "Finding my glasses, I slipped them on, calling out your name," he blushed. "I thought it was you who had rescued me. But looking up, I heard someone say 'Are you mental?' and knew that it was Ron. And well, Ron destroyed the locket."

I was quiet, a frown appearing on my face.

"So it must have been someone's Patronus. Couldn't you see who was casting it, Harry? Didn't you see anyone?" I pressed.

Harry shook his head.

"And it led you to the sword?" I shook my head. "Unbelievable, so then Ron stabbed the locket?" I asked, just wanting to make sure I understood them correctly.

Ron nodded, puffing up his chest slightly.

"And it… went? Just like that?" I whispered, my eyes wide. We had done it! We had finally destroyed one!

"It screamed," Harry said, tossing the locket at me.

I caught it, turning it over in my hands. The locket looked like it had been fried and no longer felt like something evil was lurking inside. The two small windows inside were punctured.

"Wow," I whispered, putting the locket in my bag.

Turning, I saw Harry and Ron watching me warily. I sighed, knowing I was still happy that Ron had returned.

I took two steps towards him, flinging my arms around him. "Ron, don't you ever do that again!" I scolded him, tears in my eyes.

Ron hugged me back tightly. "I'm so sorry, Mione, the second I left I wished I could come back. I tried, Merlin, I tried; I just couldn't find you again. I'm so sorry."

"Yes, well, sorry doesn't erase all the damage you've done," I reminded him softly.

"I know," Ron said. "But Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

I smiled at him, trying to take a step back. But he held onto me tightly, his nose pressing into my neck as he nuzzled me.

"Ron, could you let go? Please?" I whispered, cringing at the inevitable fight.

He let go, but still kept his arms on my waist. "I'm back now, and things can be like they were," he said, looking at me hopefully.

I shook my head, pulling back a bit. "No, Ron, things will never be the same."

He looked confused. "But I thought that we could… you know…"

"No," I said, pursing my lips together. "Ron, listen, I…"

How could I say it? There really was no easy way to tell him that I didn't return his affections anymore. My eyes flicked to Harry, silently asking him to help me.

"No!" Ron said, tightening his grip on my hips.

"Ouch," I whispered, under his hurtful grip. "Let go," I said, trying to step away from him.

"You're not… with him?" he asked, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

"Ron, let go," I said, more forcefully this time.

"Hermione? You're not, are you?" he demanded.

"Yes, Ron, she is! So let her go or else I'll make you," Harry shouted, moving towards us.

Ron released me, but before I could react his hands came up and pushed against my chest. I stumbled backwards, falling onto the floor.

"Hermione!" Harry cried, immediately moving to my side. Grabbing my elbow, he helped me sit up. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking at me worriedly.

"Yes, my head just hurts a bit," I said, reaching up to touch the tender spot of skin on the back of my neck.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry!" Ron said, moving forward. "I didn't mean too… I was just so mad…I-"

"Stay back," Harry said, narrowing his eyes at him. "Look, Ron, I'm glad you're back, and I'm sure Hermione is glad too, but we're together. I love her, Ron, and if you can't control your anger then just leave."

I looked at Harry, my eyes wide. I honestly hadn't expected him to be so upfront with Ron about our relationship. His eyes flickered to mine, and I relaxed a bit.

Glancing at Ron, I saw he looked torn. "Please, don't leave again Ron. You're still my best friend, and I still need you."

"We both need you," Harry said, his tone softening a bit.

Ron sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I don't know if I can be around the two of you… I mean, I had spent so long thinking we were going to get together, Hermione, and well, that's obviously not going to happen. And what about Ginny, Harry? I thought you two were together."

I watched as Harry shook his head. "We broke up. I told her I didn't know what would happen during the War, and she accepted that. I never made any promises that I didn't intend to keep."

Ron sighed once more, but nodded. "Okay, I'll stay, but I just… I think I need some time. I mean, I just…" he exhaled deeply.

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Ron."

Harry helped me back up, his hand on my lower waist.

Moving forward, I attempted to hug Ron once more. He hugged me back, stepping away after a few minutes. "You two are my best friends, and despite how much…" he swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued, "regardless of how I feel right now, you both need me, and I need you. We'll get through this War, and then work out everything else together."

Harry moved forward, hugging us both. "I love you too. Together until the end," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"We can do this," I whispered, glad that the missing part of us was back.

Ron pulled away. "Well, I'm actually going to get some rest, but I um, have an extra wand," he said, digging into his backpack. He handed it to Harry.

"Wonderful," Harry said, grinning. "Mine is actually broken."

"Broken?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.

I blushed, knowing it was my fault.

"I'm not even going to ask," Ron said, shaking his head. "Goodnight guys." He shuffled towards the empty cot.

Harry and I went outside, sitting by the fire.

"I'm surprised he handled it so well," I commented, snuggling into Harry's embrace.

"I am too, honestly. I had expected him to lose his temper," Harry replied.

"Maybe he's growing up," I said.

Harry smirked, looking at me. "Maybe."

"I mean, he did go through a lot alone." I shrugged. "Well, I'm proud of him. And I am glad he's back."

"Me too," Harry said. "Now how about a few kisses before I go get some sleep?"

"That sounds doable," I said, grinning at him. Leaning forward, my lips captured his.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: JKR owns all! Written from the 100k Multichapter Comp! Once again, MrsBates is my lifeline and I really appreciate all your work! I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12

The next morning found the three of us all huddled around the table as we waited for the water to finish boiling. I had placed three mugs on the table, with a tea bag in each.

There was an awkward silence, but everyone was determined to be adults about this.

The kettle whistled so I stood and grabbed it, pouring hot water into each of the cups.

"Thanks," Ron said, smiling at me.

I smiled back, still astounded by Ron's maturity.

Harry also said thank you, but his eyes were glazed over. His thoughts were obviously elsewhere.

"Harry?" I said, sitting down next to him.

"Someone helped us," he muttered. "Someone sent that doe. Someone's on our side."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Harry, someone's on our side. And we have destroyed another Horcrux, but what about the others? I don't even know what they could be."

Harry bit his lip. "I'm not sure either."

"Well, let's think about this," Ron said, putting his mug down. "We destroyed the diary, the locket, and the ring. Maybe there was something from the other houses? Maybe something of Ravenclaw's or Hufflepuff's he used?"

"But then why wouldn't he use something from Gryffindor too?" I asked, curious.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe he just hated Gryffindor? Or maybe there just wasn't a good enough relic? There's the sword, obviously, but maybe he couldn't get hold of it?"

I nodded. "Yes, maybe Dumbledore always had it."

We were all quiet for a few minutes.

"What about the snake?" Ron piped up.

"Nagini? Well, that is possible," Harry said, nodding his head.

"But not very reliable! Nagini is a living thing, so I imagine the Horcrux would be rather unstable. But You-Know-Who is almost always with her… so yeah, maybe."

"How did you two find out about the Taboo?" Ron asked us both.

"The what?" I asked, arching my eyebrows.

"Well, the two of you have stopped saying You-Know-Who's name!"

"Yeah, well, it's just a bad habit we've slipped into," Harry said as he continued, "but I haven't got a problem calling him V-"

"No!" Ron shouted, lunging across the table and putting his hand over Harry's mouth.

I stood up, scowling at the mess they had just made.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled, releasing Harry. "The name's been jinxed. That's how they track people. Using his name breaks protective enchantments, something to do with magical disturbances."

"That's rather clever," I commented. "The only people who say his name are the people who aren't afraid of him… like Dumbledore and Harry."

Ron nodded. "They almost caught Kingsley that way."

"What?" I asked, leaning forward. I didn't know Kingsley rather well, but he seemed like a really nice person and a wonderful asset to the Order.

"Yeah, they cornered him. Bill said that he escaped and is now on the run, like we are."

The two of them slipped into an easy conversation, taking about what had been going on at the Ministry and how Rita's book had affected everyone.

I pursed my lips, lost in thought. Where should we go next? I knew there was so much that needed to be done and that we needed to get moving but where should we go?

We needed someone who was knew what was going on. Cursing, I wished we had someone like Remus with us. He would know what to do.

My eyes widened. I knew that Grindelwald's mark was important, so why didn't we go see the one person who knew about it?

"Boys!" I practically shouted, eager to share my thoughts.

"What's up?" Harry asked, giving me a small smile. Now that Ron was back, he seemed a bit happier. It might have been the lack of stress from worrying about his best friend.

"I want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood."

Harry's jaw dropped as he stared at me. Looking at Ron, I saw he too looked dumbfounded.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Luna's father, I want to go and talk to him," I explained, rolling my eyes. I thought I had gotten my point across rather clearly, but obviously not.

"Err… why?" Ron asked, looking back and forth between us.

Opening Rita's book, I flipped open to a page where there was a letter from Dumbledore to Grindelwald. Harry and Ron both stared at the page, oblivious as to what they were looking for.

I rolled my eyes. "The signature, look at Dumbledore's name."

And there it was. Instead of the A in Albus, it was the symbol that was on the grave and in my book. "It's the same mark, and I know that it means something. The only person who's still alive who can tell us more about the mark is Mr Lovegood! He was wearing it at the wedding."

Harry pursed his lips. "I think it might be too dangerous. Hermione, I don't want another repeat of Godric's Hollow."

"But this is important!" I protested, my hands clenching into fists.

"I agree, mate, Hermione keeps seeing it somewhere, so maybe it does mean something. Besides, what can Lovegood do? He seemed pretty harmless."

I smirked. "See, Ron agrees."

"Apart from the fact that he was crazy," Ron continued, under his breath.

Harry sighed.

"Please, Harry, I know this is important." I reached over and gave his hand a tight squeeze.

"Fine, we'll go. I just… I don't know," he mumbled.

"Don't worry mate, maybe this will point us in the right direction?" Ron said, shrugging.

"Fine, I'm going to go for a walk," Harry said, standing. He leant down, giving me a quick kiss.

"Be careful," I murmured, giving his hand a tight squeeze. I watched as he walked outside.

Glancing at Ron, I saw he was smiling.

"What?" I asked warily.

He shrugged. "I'm just happy for you I suppose."

"You are?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He nodded. "I always thought the two of us would get together, because well… I thought that's what you wanted. I thought it was sort of expected of us, you know? Especially after the incident with Lavender."

I nodded. "I thought I liked you too… but I just… I don't know, Ron, you're my best friend. And I don't really think we'd click together that way."

"I don't think we would either," Ron admitted, grinning at me goofily. "No offense, Hermione, but you're so bossy and the more I think about it, the more I think we wouldn't fit. You're like a part of my family. I feel like if we had attempted a relationship it would have ruined our friendship."

I nodded. "I feel the same way."

Ron grinned. "But hey, if Harry wants to tackle that side of you, good for him!"

I made a sour face at him. "Don't be fresh, Ron, I'm not that bad!"

"Not bad, no, but you can be a bit… controlling? Demanding?" He shrugged. "You have flaws, Mione, but everyone does. All I'm saying is that I have a bad temper and practically no patience. I feel like things just wouldn't have worked."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, well, you do have a bad temper, Ron."

"I do, but I've been working on it," he said, smiling.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I sighed. "I was so heartbroken when you left, but you're back now… and that's all matters."

"It is, and I'm going to make it up to the both of you, you'll see."

I smiled at him. "Oh, Ron," I said, hugging him tightly. I could feel a few tears leaking from my eyes.

"Don't cry," Ron said, immediately wiping away the tears.

"I'm just happy to see you again. And I'm so glad you accepted my relationship with Harry so well. I was so worried that our friendship would be over…"

"But it's not. I've done a lot of growing up these past months, Hermione, and I'm going to prove it to you."

I nodded, smiling at him. "Good, I'm so proud of you."

He blushed. "Thanks." Standing, he gripped his wand. "I'm going to go outside and get Harry. Hopefully he's calmed down now."

"Okay," I said, moving to clean up after breakfast.

Ron paused in the doorway. "Has Harry been like this the whole time I've been gone?"

I bit my lip, nodding. "He's been tense… very tense."

Ron looked worried.

"I think it has to do with his connection with You-Know-Who. He's been having awful nightmares, and he won't tell me what they're about. I think You-Know-Who is planning something… something big. And Harry's worried about it."

"Don't worry," Ron said, giving me a reassuring smile. "Hopefully things will work out."

I nodded, watching as he left the tent. After clearing up, I climbed into bed. It seemed that no matter what I did, I still felt tired. Exhausted, actually. And not just the I-need-more-sleep kind of tired, but the bone deep kind.

So much had happened in the past few hours; I had a hard time processing it.

Sleep.

I really needed sleep.

Snuggling under the blankets, I closed my eyes. I'm so tired.

Listening to the wind howl through the trees, I swiftly fell asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: JKR owns all! Written from the 100k Multichapter Comp! Once again AnnHarrisForever, formerlyMrsBates93, is my lifeline and I really appreciate all your work! I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13

"Hermione?"

I felt someone shake my shoulder. Groggily, I opened my eyes.

"Hmm?" I mumbled.

Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I spotted a head of black hair. "Harry?"

"Yeah, are you okay? It's rather late and you're still sleeping."

Groaning I sat up, mentally taking a note of my body. I still felt exhausted even though I had had plenty of sleep. I also had a pounding migraine.

"I think this lifestyle is just starting to take a toll on my body, that's all."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his worried green eyes looking at me.

I nodded. "Now come here and give me a good morning kiss."

Harry grinned, moving towards me. He gently cupped my face, titling my chin upwards. My lips eagerly found his. His hands gripped my waist while my hands gently tangled themselves in his shaggy black hair. I felt my body tingle with excitement.

Everything clicked into place.

Breaking the kiss, I gasped.

"Harry?" I whispered, afraid of the thoughts that were running through my mind.

"Mhmm?" he murmured, moving forward to kiss me again.

I shook my head, holding him back. "I'm pregnant."

Harry's eyes widened. "What?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I just knew. Shakily, I nodded.

He shook his head. "No, that's not possible," he whispered.

"Of course it is… Harry, we had sex! And neither of us cast a protective charm." Burying my face in my hands, I felt the tears slipping out. "How could we have been so stupid?"

Harry's arms wrapped around mine. "Hey, shush. You're not stupid, Hermione. You're the smartest witch I know."

"But I'm not ready for this!" I protested. How could I possibly have a baby in this sort of situation? We were in the middle of a war for Merlin's sake!

How could we have been so stupid? This was big… this was a really big deal.

"Harry, I can't even-" I lost my voice. My heart was racing and I could barely breathe. Suddenly, the room felt too hot.

"Ron!" Harry cried. Turning to me, he brushed the hair out of my face. "Shhh, you'll be okay, Hermione. Calm down."

I heard the words but I just couldn't process them.

Ron came into the tent moments later.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, looking at me.

"I think she's going to pass out," Harry said worriedly. "Hermione?"

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. Struggling, I tried to sit up, but my body wasn't exactly agreeing with my brain. Suddenly, I felt myself slip into darkness.

* * *

Groggily, I opened my eyes. Sitting up, I saw Ron staring at me. He looked incredibly worried. Leaning forward, he pressed the back of his hand to my forehead, probably trying to gauge my temperature.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing my head. The migraine was still there, but it was slowly fading. I hoped it would go away in an hour or two. But why had I passed out? I couldn't remember. "Well?" I prompted again, when he didn't answer.

"Errr," Ron suddenly looked flushed. He started to fidget, not meeting my gaze.

"Ron?" I asked, a warning hint in my voice. Why was he acting so skittish?

"Well, Hermione, you told Harry you were pregnant, and then you passed out."

"I… what?" I practically shrieked.

Harry must have heard the noise because he came running in a few minutes later.

"Are you okay?" he asked, immediately grasping my hand.

"Perform the spell," I whispered, almost afraid of the results. The idea of me being pregnant was absolutely ridiculous, but it seemed to be true. It must be why I felt so bloody exhausted all the time and had frequent headaches. But still, I hoped it wasn't true… there was so much we needed to do and having a baby would just get in the way. I couldn't afford to distract Harry more than he already was.

Fuck, what had I gotten myself into? Vaguely, a memory of my mother giving me the sex talk popped into my mind. She had insisted that I wait until marriage and now that I found myself in this situation, I wish I had waited.

But no matter what, I couldn't bring myself to regret my relationship with Harry. I had finally found happiness with him and I didn't want to let him go. We'd face this together, just like everything else.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, looking at me sympathetically. He gave my hand a squeeze to reassure me.

"Yes," I snapped. "Let's just get this over with. We need to know." My heart was racing fast and I couldn't help but feel like I was going to throw up. Was that my pregnancy starting to manifest or my nerves?

Harry nodded, lifting my wand and whispering the incantation. Ron grasped my other hand as a sign of support. I was glad he was still here to support me. Maybe Ron really had grown up these past few months.

My stomach glowed blue moments later.

"You're pregnant," Harry whispered before falling to his knees.

My head fell back and I sighed. "I'm sorry," I whispered out loud.

Ron snorted. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Honest to Merlin, don't let this two pull you apart."

My gaze snapped up in surprise. I think I really liked mature Ron.

"I suppose," I mumbled, still not really believing this was real. I had a baby growing inside of me. I was going to be a mother.

Harry stood, taking my hand in his. "Ron's right. I still love you Hermione, and we'll get through this."

They were right. I nodded, hugging them both. I was so grateful to have such loving and supporting people in my life. I was a lucky girl, even though my situation wasn't that lucky at all.

"You okay?" Harry asked, kissing my forehead.

I nodded, smiling. "I'll make it, don't worry," I said, a hint of teasing in my voice. I still couldn't believe that I was pregnant… it was just so unreal. Maybe none of it would actually ever sink in?

There were so many questions that I had, but there wasn't any time. We had a mission that needed to be completed and I wasn't going to let this get in the way. Sitting up, I swung my legs off the side of the bed. "Come on, let's go." I groaned as a bit of the nausea struck me.

"Go? Where are we going?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Knowing Hermione, she probably wants to head to Ottery St. Catchpole to see Mr. Lovegood," Ron said, beginning to pack things.

"You can't possibly think I'll let you go on dangerous missions while you're pregnant do you?" Harry asked, standing up.

Immediately I felt angry. Ripping my wand from his grasp, I pointed it at him. "Harry James Potter, I'm pregnant, not an invalid! We are going to find answers!"

"But I don't want anything to happen to you! Hermione, you're carrying my baby, and I know there are people that would use that against us… I don't want that to happen. _I can't let anything happen to you,"_ he said, his voice going hoarse.

"I'm a strong witch, Harry, one that knows what she's doing. I've never been content with just sitting on the side lines, and I really don't think that's something that I'm going to start doing now. I need to be there, helping you. You need me, Harry, you need my brain," I said with a smirk, knowing I was right. Harry and Ron wouldn't last two seconds without me and I knew it… and they both knew it judging by their current expressions.

"But I'm just worried… I've always worried about the two of you. And that's why I didn't want the two of you to come with me on this mission," Harry replied.

"And where would you be without us?" Ron snapped. "Hermione has saved our skins more than once."

"We'll be fine. Harry, I know you're worried, and I am too, but I don't want you to miss out on what's important here," I explained.

"You're what it's important," he said, gently cupping my cheek.

I shook my head. "Harry, the wizarding world is what's important. We need to finish destroying the horcruxes. I couldn't live with myself if you let Voldemort continue doing what he's doing just because you're worrying about me."

"But-"he was about to protest but I cut him off by placing my hand over his mouth.

"No, that's final. Now pack up your things because we're going to the Lovegoods."

Harry sighed, but he nodded. "Okay," he said.

"I love you," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him. Pulling him close, I pressed a kiss to his lips. He hugged me closely, eagerly returning the kiss.

A small cough interrupted us.

Turning, I saw Ron blushing. "Come on guys, can you not do that while I'm in the room?"

Harry grinned and I let out a small laugh. "Okay Ron, no snogging when you're in the room."

"Let's get going," Ron said.

The three of us finished packing and took the tent down. Looking around, I started to feel a bit nervous. Hopefully we'd be able to get the answers we were looking for.

Linking arms, the three of us Disapparated.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: JKR owns the characters, I'm simply borrowing them all. We're so close to 100 reviews! So in honor, I figure the person who leaves the 100th review will get a one-shot of your choice! So, please, leave me some feedback! I really appreciate it and does help to get the juices flowing! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 14

I looked around at all the hills and felt a sense of longing within me. I frowned, knowing that the Burrow was somewhere around here. I missed Mrs. Weasley's warm hugs, the smell of bacon and eggs cooking in the morning, and the laughing.

"What is it?" Harry asked, looking at my face.

"Nothing," I quickly said, hoping I wouldn't start crying. What I wouldn't give for a Weasley hug right about how.

"You miss home," Ron said softly, and I knew at once that he felt the same.

And he was right, in a way. I did miss my home, my parents, my bed. But the Burrow was like my second home, and I missed it terribly. This summer wasn't the same as past ones, as it had been filled with planning. I missed the times where we would lounge by the lake, jumping in to cool off every once and awhile.

"I miss home too," Ron said softly, gazing off over the hill.

"Weren't you just there?" Harry asked a bit snidely. He was jealous, that Ron had slept in a warm bed while we didn't.

Ron shook his head, a shaky laugh escaping his lips. "I wasn't at the Burrow! Did you two really think I was going to go there and tell them I walked out on you? I can't imagine any of them would have been really supportive."

"Where did you go then?" I asked curiously. Reaching up, I brushed a curl out of my face.

"Bill and Fleur's place. Shell Cottage. Bill wasn't too happy with me, but he was rather understanding. He knew I was really sorry, and well, didn't really bring any of it up. I stayed there with them for Christmas; Mum didn't know."

The three of us were quiet for a moment, each lost in our own thoughts. I thought Ron had been with his family, but it turns out I was wrong.

"Let's keep going," Harry suggested.

The three of us moved forward, walking along the countryside. We would Disapparate every so often so we weren't walking as much. Harry's hand had found mine at some point, and I kept it firmly in my grasp.

We continued moving North.

"How will we know it's the Lovegood's home?" I asked, worried that we might not actually find the place. No one else had been there, so we didn't really know what we were looking for.

"I have a feeling you'd be able to tell who lived there if you looked through the Lovegood's window," Ron said with a snort.

I laughed, nodding my head. "True, that sounds very true."

Linking hands, the three of us Disapparated farther North. When we landed, Ron cried out with an "Aha!" and I knew we had found what we were looking for.

Brushing the hair out of my face, I looked upward, towards the top of a hill. There was a very strange looking house sitting atop it, and I just knew it was Luna's.

"That has to be Luna's house," Harry said, grinning.

Ron nodded eagerly. "Who else would live in a place that looked like a giant rook?"

We all moved toward the house excitedly. Looking near the door, I saw a few signs. "The Quibbler. Editor: X. Lovegood."

"This is them, then," Harry said, looking towards me. I smiled at him, giving his hand a tight squeeze.

"Keep off the dirigible plums." My eyebrows rose. "What on earth are dirigible plums?"

"Well, let's not find out," Harry quickly said, steering me away from the odd looking plant.

Moving towards the door, I knocked three times.

Seconds later, the door flung open, revealing Xenophilius Lovegood. He looked more ragged than the last time I had seen him. He was barefoot, wearing a stained nightshirt. His long blonde hair was dirty and unkempt, knotted in places.

"What is it? Who are you? What do you want from me?" he cried, his eyes darting back and forth between us all rapidly.

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood. I'm Harry, Harry Potter. We met at Fleur and Bill's wedding," Harry said, holding his hand out for him to shake it.

But Xenophilius just stared. Stared at Harry's scar, which I found incredibly strange.

Harry withdrew his hand. "Would it be all right if we came in? There's something we'd like to ask you."

Xenophilius twitched, looking around nervously. "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"Please, sir, it'll just take a moment," I added, looking at him pleadingly.

"I- oh, all right. Come in then, quickly!"

We had barely made it into the house before he had slammed the door shut behind us, warding it. I scrunched my eyes up in confusion, watching him warily. Something wasn't right… I could just feel it.

Mr. Lovegood shooed us all into the living room, where we stood awkwardly. The house was quiet, too quiet. Where was Luna? Shouldn't she be here due to the Christmas holidays?

"Why have you come here?" he asked us quickly.

"We need some help," Harry quickly responded.

"Help? Ahh, how could I possibly help you?"

I shivered. For some reason, I had imagined Mr. Lovegood being a lot more amicable towards us. His eyes kept darting around, almost as if he was afraid of locking eyes with Harry.

"Well," Harry began, looking to me for encouragement. I nodded, smiling at him. "It has something to do with what you were wearing around your neck at Bill and Fleur's wedding. We were wondering what it meant."

He arched his eyebrow. "You mean this?" he said, lifting a pendant that had been hiding beneath his ragged shirt.

It was the same symbol from my book! The one that kept popping up everywhere. "Yes, that!" I cried excitedly, "what is it?"

"This is the sign of the Deathly Hallows."

I felt myself frown. _The Deathly Hallows_? Well, that sounded like a whole lot of codswallop. I'm beginning to think I had just wasted everyone's time.

"The Death Hallows?" Ron asked, looking as confused as I felt.

Xenophilius nodded. "This is the symbol, one that is often worn by believers."

"Believers?" I asked, my frustration increasing by the second.

He nodded once more. "Yes, believers. Those who seek the Deathly Hallows themselves."

"But what _are_ the Deathly Hallows?" Harry pressed.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?" he asked, to which I nodded. Harry just looked confused. Reaching into my bag, I dug around, grinning when I found my copy.

"The original?" he inquired sharply, his eyes widening at the book in my hands.

I blushed, giving a nod. I had suspected that Dumbledore had left me the original copy, but I couldn't understand why.

"Well, why don't you read it out loud to us?" Xenophilius suggested, gazing outside the window.

Nodding, I read the story out loud to them.

When I finished, Harry just looked confused and Ron smiled, no doubt lost in a childhood memory.

"That's it then," Xenophilius said, grabbing a piece of parchment. "The Deathly Hallows consists of the Elder Wand," he said, drawing a straight line. "The Resurrection Stone." He added a circle on top of the line. "And the Cloak of Invisibility," he finished, enclosing both the line and circle in a triangle. "Together, they make the Deathly Hallows."

I was lost in my thoughts, watching as he drew. Nowhere in the story was the mention of 'Deathly Hallows,' but I supposed that was a way to keep them hidden. If everyone knew about them, then people would waste their lives searching for it, much like the Philosopher's Stone or the Mirror of Erised. Some things just weren't meant to be found.

Yet one of them had been found, hadn't it? Didn't we carry one in our own knapsacks?

My eyes widened. They were real, then. We simply had to find them!

But why was this relevant? Why did Dumbledore give me this book so I could figure this out?

It was simple really, when I thought about it for a moment.

"The Hallows, if united, will make the possessor master of Death."

Voldemort was looking for them!

That's why he had captured Ollivander and killed Gregorovitch! He was looking for wand makers, who would know of the wands whereabouts!

"Mr. Lovegood, does the Peverell family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?" I asked, remembering how I had seen the symbol of Ignotus' grave in Godric's Hollow.

He stilled for a moment, but nodded. "They have everything to do with it."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, obviously confused.

"It's obvious, isn't it? That the three brothers in the story where actually the Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus! That they were the original owners of the Hallows."

"But what's happened to them now?" I asked, curious if he knew any more.

Xenophilius shrugged. "Who knows? Mentions of the Wand are scattered throughout history, but the others have simply disappeared."

"You mean they're all the same?"

Xenophilius looked to me, confused.

"The wands, I mean? The Deathstick? The Wand of Destiny? Those are all actually the Elder Wand."

He nodded. "Yes, yes, that's it. Why don't I go get us all some tea?" He stood, going downstairs.

I stared out the window, wondering where Luna was. Xenophilius returned moments later, the tray set for four. "Where's Luna?" I asked sharply, narrowing my eyes at her.

"D-down by the river," he replied warily.

"No, she's not," I replied, shaking my head. Standing, I slowly withdrew my wand from my sleeve. "Where is Luna?" He paled. "Why do you keep looking out the window if she isn't there?"

His eyes widened in alarm.

"Harry, look!" Ron said, pointing to a copy of the Quibbler. The front of it had Harry's picture, with the words Undesirable Number One captioned beneath it, along with the sum of reward money. "Been working a new angle, eh?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

"You betrayed us?" Harry asked, pain filling his eyes. He looked at me, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. We had thought Mr. Lovegood would have been trustworthy. He had seemed so kind, much like Luna. We were obviously wrong.

"They took my Luna," he whispered, and he didn't sound like the man he was moments ago. No, his voice was now that of a man who had lost everything… of one who was slowly losing his mind. "Because of what I've been writing, they took her. I don't know where she is… or what they've done to her… but… if I-"

"Turn us over, they might free her?" I finished for him, my throat constricting. The idea of Luna locked up somewhere, being tortured, or worse, filled me with dread. But we couldn't let him stop us. We had a job to do, and frankly, we were running out of time.

"Well, that's not happening, so get out of the way," Ron said flatly, drawing his wand.

Xenophilius shook his head. "They'll be here any moment. I can't let you leave! I must save Luna." He raised his arms, blocking the doorway.

"Harry!" I screamed, noticing the black figures flying by the house. Shards of glass came flying at us at once, as the windows all broke. Jets of red and green came flying in and I quickly tried to scoot towards Harry and Ron.

"Potter's in there!" a deep voice shouted, and a flash of red shot towards him moments later.

"Ron! Harry!" I cried, searching through the smoke for them. A hand found mine, and I looked up into Harry's eyes. "We have to find Ron!"

He nodded, tugging me to the left. We scooted along, trying to find him.

I could hear Xenophilius outside, shouting something to them. I couldn't make out the words, but hoped that he would make it through this War alive.

A solid figure thumped into me. "Ron?" Relief flooded through me when I saw the spot of familiar red hair. "Hold tight!" I told them both, and with a gasp, I Apparated us all out of there.


End file.
